Falling Cinders
by ThisAccountKillsFascists
Summary: Cinder, because of the grace of Ruby's tolerance, after everything is given a second chance to be good. But that doesn't mean villains rest for the wicked! Can Cinder conquer her own personality, and become who she was meant to be? (Rated M for SEXY LEMONS of the Cinder/Ruby nature!) Leave a review! [I promise I'm still working on this story please don't leave me T T]
1. Chapter 1: Falling Cinders

**Falling Cinders: Chapter 1**

As she gazed over the edge at the slowly rising sparks and ash, her amber eye trailed, her mouth parted ever so slightly, her heels backed to the edge of the ship. It was going down, and for a minute, Cinder wanted it to take her with. There was nothing left for her now, and yet still the annoying brat was pleading with her... Ruby, she'd come to find out was her name, and behind her, the yellow one... Yang stood, a look of concern having blossomed over her face as she gripped Ruby's shoulder, trying to pull her away from the flaming wreckage of the airship as it gracefully headed toward the ground.

Mercury was dead, Emerald too, and for what had she spent her life? This sickening, towering despair that had filled her insides? The voice that now barely worked, she couldn't even use it to tell that little idiot to leave her to die. Instead, her one eye scanned over her shoulder, looking for another way out. Death... Or to answer for her crimes, that seemed the only two options. But before she could decide, Qrow decided for her, he came out of nowhere, and the world went dark...

Some time later, how long, she couldn't tell, Cinder woke to find herself in a familiar situation. Deprived of her dust-laced garments, she was clad only in a robe and her underthings underneath it, her head bandaged, wrapped... They'd taken care to leave her eye-patch in place. Thank whoever for the small graces. She lay silently, staring at the ceiling of this place, afraid to glance around for fear of finding somebody to answer to, the police maybe, the Huntsmen... An angry general...

Instead, there was only a tiny little gasp, and she heard movement, once she'd managed to open her eye.

"She's awake..."

It was that brat, Ruby. As the reality of her situation flooded back to her, the mean-spirited woman clutched up her blankets in a forceful barrier, distancing herself visibly from Ruby as she stalked over. Her concern was again obvious. Why, after everything Cinder had managed to do to this stupid brat, did she still take so much issue over the loss of her life?

It wasn't so obvious, with the one eye, perhaps, but the daggers she glared Ruby's way made Yang hesitate to let her approach. She caught the girl's wrist.

"Look, see, I told you! She's not going to thank us for saving her, so why the hell should we even be here? We should've turned her over to the feds, I can't believe you pulled all your strings to let this... Witch remain under Huntsman care!"

Once a hothead, always a hothead, Cinder thought, and Ruby's question practically fell on deaf ears when Miss Fall didn't respond.

"Are you feeling all right?" the cheerful girl questioned her, and the scowl she got, the tilt of her face somewhere, anywhere else, didn't exactly delight her. The silver-eyed huntress gave a sad frown in response.

"That bad, huh? I can't imagine how you're feeling right now... Losing so much so quickly... Even if you weren't on the right side of things." Her lacy skirt clung around her legs as she pushed her bottom onto the bed, and Cinder scooted slightly away from her, not wanting such a person to be anywhere near her physically.

After all, this was the one whom had taken her eye.

As if reading the glare, Ruby twitched noticeably and covered her own mouth with a gasp.

"OH! Oh, my gosh, I can't believe how rude I've been... Your eye... Yeah, that was me..." Now her demeanor turned sheepish, and yet, somehow, the innocence still dripped through her words as though she weren't capable of amazing power, to wound somebody such as her so extensively.

"I know you probably don't feel like talking, but... It took a lot to get you here instead of dooming you to a cold cell, considering... Well, you've killed our friends..." The ice over the conversation grew a further layer with that statement, and even Ruby felt the distaste her own words created, and ran her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Perhaps not the best thing to bring up when you were trying to convert somebody away from their tendencies.

"But look, okay, we're gunna fix that. Everything! Cuz, cuz I know that somewhere deep down in you... You were being used, and somewhere in there is that good guy we've all got. So we'll come back to them, okay? I'm Ruby, by the way, and this is my sister Yang. We heard you were called Cinder, is that right?"

The steely, hard glare didn't change, but there was an ever so slight nod that accompanied the disgusted face. Who did she think she was, acting so cliche like that? As if she, some silly girl in a frilly dress, would manage to sway her mind.

But when the door closed and she was alone in this empty hospital room... Her feelings crashed like waves against a rocky shore as the events all replayed in the back of her mind.

Mercury... Done in by some runt with a shield, Emerald, taken down by that bitch with a hammer... Slain... Just pawns in the game. She supposed, ultimately, she had her life, and theirs were taken as the price. She had to admit, she'd miss Emerald's abilities, they were so very... Useful. She looked around the place, the staff had removed everything remotely resembling a weapon. There weren't even chairs, and all the beds were bolted down. The drawers were empty, the windows didn't open, she had only one way out of this place... Through that very same door.

Her body, when she tried to stand, wasn't doing so well... She felt like she'd been hit by a dozen trains, one after another, due to the fight she'd endured just before her fall, to the hit from Qrow's annoying blade hilt across the back of her head. Her singular eye winced as she pulled herself to her feet. On the bed next to hers there was an array of clothing, somewhat similar to what she'd always worn before... A note sat atop.

"I hope you like them! -Ruby."

The twerp had even drawn a caricature of her own face next to her signature, an annoyingly vibrant smile plastered over her cartoon features.

 _'You've got to be kidding me,'_ Cinder thought in annoyance, attempting to run her hand through her hair, but when it didn't budge without loads of pain from her shoulder, she used the other one. Chancing a glance inside her robe, she saw the wound that had been afforded her this time, a nice, big hole had been shot through her shoulder, but it appeared to be healing rather nicely, though she was sure there would be some permanent tendon damage. Great, she was even less of a person now than she had been before... Again.

Heaving a sigh, which came out rather airy and breathy, her damaged vocal cords not allowing much else, she took the clothes and dawned them. No dust in the sleeves meant no blowing her way out of this place, and of course, she was far too weak to use her Maiden abilities... They weren't perfect, anyway, they always tired her more than she'd expected.

 _'I guess this is it. I'm finally trapped in a cage with no Master...'_ When this thought hit her mind, a sudden, inexplicable relief washed all through her veins, and she blinked, and stared out the window at the rays of sun filtering through the trees.

Salem was gone.

She wasn't under anyone's heel anymore. She wasn't even in jail... Why was she being given such an opportunity? What did this all mean, did they expect to use her for her abilities, perhaps? To weaponize her against their enemies...?

Cinder didn't understand it, but she needed answers, and with her voice, they weren't going to come easily...

So she supposed, to her surprise, two military men stopped her as she tried to leave in the flowing black gown she'd been given.

Just outside her door, two Atlas guard stood, their visible mouths pursed in the seriousness of business. They pointed their weapons right at her.

Cinder couldn't believe herself when she straightened up and flattened her gown down. The guards looked between each other, one read some paper, then they simply moved aside.

It was so nonchalant, in fact, that when she walked through, her cocky attitude flashed back to her. She strode right passed like a demonette casting a spell, but the moment she found herself in the lobby of a busy hospital, she blinked one lid a few times to adjust herself.

Everywhere about her gurneys turned or twisted. Something big was causing quite a few casualties. It hit her.

"Wh-dhhh..." she managed to croak at an orderly, grasping her by the shoulders. She knocked Cinder's hands aside and the woman frowned again, this time far less anger coursing through her. What happened?

It took a moment of adrenaline-fueled dragging to get her lax body into position in the lobby waiting room, where the TV blared the latest news straight to her perpetually ringing ears.

"-today as the Grimm invasion seems to be fully spreading to the outer-"

A loud cough interrupted her ability to understand the rest of what the reporter was saying, but the boxed window in the corner of the screen spoke enough of the horrors of yet another Grimm attack in the wake of her operation.

Ruby had saved her. Guarded her, kept her from jail, plopped her into a hospital...

And then she, and her sister, Yang, had left to dispatch the remaining Grimm. It was as if Cinder's powers were so tiny in comparison to the determination she'd encountered...

Her fist clenched silently. She tried to swear, but her lips moved, and only a hoarse, cool whisper breached any sort of silence near her, immediately drowned out by a simple conversation happening just behind her on the seats.

Nothing they had done had accomplished anything at all. So for now, here she was, in her fall, alone, and poor of any sort of... Well, any sort of resources. No allies, no money, no strength, no direction, no voice, no eye, and no energy... Just so very tired.

What was she supposed to do? Who was she, now?


	2. Chapter 2: Ruby's Eyes

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 2: Ruby's Eyes**

Some time passed as Cinder sat, weakened and hungry, watching the news on the video screen as the devastation continued. They'd lost, and soon the Grimm would be dealt with as those incessant Huntsmen made their rounds. It was all she could do, after being approached by an orderly and questioned, to step outside with her frustration. They wanted to know if she'd eaten, they wanted to know if she was feeling okay, and yet nobody had asked her how she felt about not being able to answer.

So it was time for a smoke. They didn't stop her, not at the door, and not when she walked down the street to the corner store to buy a pack of cigarettes. A few minutes later and she had one lit, finally able to breathe the smoke, leaning against the wall outside, closing her eye, waiting, thinking.

It was as if it had all never happened... And yet she knew it had, and it still was, if you counted the mop-up taking place in some parts of the nation. Beacon had fallen, but it's loyal Huntsmen hadn't... It was only a matter of time before this whole place was a fortress again. She exhaled a cloud of smoke, opened her eye, and nearly leapt out of her skin, becoming guarded immediately when a certain shade of green flooded her vision too much for her liking.

It was the android, she was back together, and she stood before Cinder, tilting her head.

"Those are bad for you, you know," the android spoke, Penny they'd called her, and with an unamused face she took another long drag and flicked it at the thing before her.

The still-burning thing bounced off of the metal girl without much of a care from her.

Cinder gave Penny a glare that clearly said she didn't want to be bothered, but the machine didn't seem to process emotions as well as she'd thought, because she took a step closer.

"Ruby told me I'm supposed to watch you," Penny admitted, her eerie, unblinking stare baring down on mute woman.

'This day just gets better and better,' she thought to herself, and sure enough, when she attempted to walk away, she was followed. Not ten paces, and she turned and glared back at the thing, staring her down, her frown deepening as though it could possibly pierce that pathetic smile, and get it through to her. This stupid piece of Atlas technology had become nothing at her hands, as powerful as she was, and now she was playing bodyguard like she didn't even know about that?

It suddenly became clear to her... Ruby knew. She knew Cinder couldn't talk, she knew it was her fault... Cinder stewed and placed a hand over her face for a moment when Penny grew curious.

"You sure are a strange one," the weird android quipped, and Cinder scoffed and stalked off again, prompting her to start a lazy pace after her, taking it slow and regarding all the nature here outside of the hospital.

Cinder walked to clear her head, ignoring the artificial girl behind her. Ruby knew that she wouldn't be able to tell Penny the truth about who she was... Perhaps, she guessed, she even knew she couldn't exactly do a thing without her subordinates, her voice, and her Dust. She had no money, it suddenly became clear, having spent just the last bit she'd had among her personal effects returned to her. Her stomach growled loudly as if to remind her she actually hadn't eaten yet, today.

Penny giggled at her, and went to take her hand, but Cinder flinched away and slapped her wrist to the side, her disgusted face enough for Penny to back off.

"Fine, just follow me. I was told if you got hungry to feed you, kind of like a puppy. That Ruby sure is funny, right?" She rocked on her feet, hands behind her back, and Cinder might have even punched her if she hadn't known she were robotic. Penny stepped away, and she reluctantly followed. They grabbed a table at the diner down the road, from the hill that it overlooked, she noticed they were just on the edge of some city.

"Ruby will be back later today to come get you," Penny explained, and Cinder's eyebrow rose. Why? Why bother, now that she'd stolen everything Cinder had worked for, why bother to come back? Rub it in, maybe? Step on her more?

"She said she feels real bad about how things turned out for you, she said she spent all her savings on an apartment 'cuz you'd need a place to stay now that you weren't going to be busy. I have no idea what she was talking about, you know, I never really do come to think of it. Hm."

It occured to Cinder that Penny had probably had a memory wipe. Understandable, considering. She assumed being bifurcated had a tendency to scar any psyche, machine or not.

But... Ruby had bought her a place to stay? What was the meaning of this? Why wound somebody, then pay for their hospitalization and a place to live after ruining their life? She supposed this was a similar feeling to how a male felt when you kicked them between the legs. Such foolishness, and yet, having nothing to her name anymore, it was almost...

Her anger came back to her, and she slammed a fist on the table.

How dare that brat?!

"If you do that enough times, you'll break it," Penny chimed in, "I know, I did it on accident once."

She tried to ignore the machine as her boiling thoughts came to a head. If Ruby did anything more for her, she felt maybe she'd be sickened by the generosity, it was like she didn't know a damn thing about how the world worked. What if Cinder simply refused her stupid little perfect plan? Just left, tried to find her own way back on her feet?

Sure, she'd be a fool to refuse such a fall back option for her current situation. She'd just been one of the most renowned criminals behind a large-scale operation against humanity, but of course she was sure they hadn't exactly made headlines. It wasn't public knowledge who she was, exactly, and with her drastically altered appearance since Beacon...

This all seemed like some kind of joke. A cruel joke, even. Penny ordered something for her, she kept blabbing on and on about Ruby... And in the mean time, Cinder leaned her head against her hand, elbow on the table, staring at the pattern of the tablecloth.

When a plate of flapjacks was set in front of her, Penny slathered it in syrup for her, and told her to eat it.

'I'd rather eat that idiot girl's soul,' she thought, but a grumble from her stomach reminded her that this indeed was what she wanted right now, and so she briefly cleared her mind, and instead savored the meal. But the moment her fork was down again, her mind was right back on her situation.

"I'm not sure who you are, really," she caught Penny saying, "but Ruby really must think you're something special if she spent all that money on you. You know, she doesn't really use her money for anything, though... I guess she's just a Huntress to be a Huntress, she doesn't seem to do it for the pay."

Selfless, really? Could that girl be any more stupid?

Thoughts of burning her silly little apartment to the ground fluttered through her mind, until she remembered her lack of pyrotechnical ability currently. Her eye wandered over her sleeves. Such a shame, really, it had been such an expensive investment...

She supposed it would be pointless to run from this, though. Ruby wasn't stupid, and she was the fastest thing Cinder had ever seen, there'd be no real escape. In fact, if she killed anyone again, she was pretty sure that girl would be her death. She couldn't believe how one person had managed to royally screw her so hard.

Maybe this was all just a show to try and beg forgiveness, then?

In either case, when Ruby returned, Penny had been right.

The red-hooded girl came back just after noon to fetch her, Penny had followed her all over town as she wandered aimlessly with her thoughts. When she finally showed up, Cinder hadn't even waited for her to get close to stop what she was doing and turn around. Ruby found her staring and waiting as she approached, it was off-putting, like she'd known entirely that she'd been coming.

"Um... Hello again," Ruby started, and lifted a hand in greeting to both Cinder and Penny as the domineering woman stared her down with the ire of thousands of glowing suns.

"Sorry I had her babysit you," she tried next, and Cinder crossed her arms and gave her a look that clearly stated she didn't accept that apology. But of course, the small girl wasn't really daunted by this.

"Yang told me I couldn't leave you alone... And, wellllll, I... I agreed!" Her voice grated on Cinder's nerves when she said the last word, she sounded like that was a positive thing... But at least, Cinder noted, Ruby didn't trust her. That was probably smart.

"But it's okay, Penny, I'll take it from here. Thanks for your help, and we'll see you soon!"

'We?' Cinder thought. What we?

"Okay. Bye Ruby! Bye... Person!" Ruby mentioned her name was Cinder, and after the android finished her goodbye, she left off into the crowd of the street they had met on. Cinder's eye glared back at Ruby, but when she did, she faltered, disarmed as those silver eyes, wide and wet, were far closer than she'd expected, and they stared right into her singular eye, so beautiful without the fires of war reflected in them.

It took her a second to regain herself and realize that Ruby was crying and saying things to her.

"I'm so sorry!" she poured, and withdrew slightly, burying her face in the crook of her arm.

"I never ever wanted-"

Cinder's hand was swift, and the crack from the sound of it impacting Ruby's cheek was enough to make a few people stop and stare. Regardless, her goal was achieved, and the idiot girl stopped crying. Cinder grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her, fast and forcefully, from the crowd and down the street where there were less people.

She tossed the girl toward the wall of a building and she leaned up against it, her eyes finding her feet. Cinder glared at her. The nerve... Now she waited, and eventually, those silver eyes peeked up at her once, then again.

"I know this is all a lot for you," Ruby stated, "I..."

Cinder wanted an explanation for everything that was going on, and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Okay, okay..." Ruby smoothed her skirt and straightened up, wiping her eyes off and sniffing softly. She was like some kind of cute bunny, Cinder wondered how the hell such a pathetic person could've defeated her in battle.

"I guess I owe you some explaining myself..." Ruby sounded nervous, and she pressed two of her fingers together in front of her and continued staring at her feet as she spoke.

"It's just... Well, we had to kill everyone, except you, Uncle Qrow knocked you out so we could turn you in, and I just thought... Well I knew I put out your eye, I made it so you couldn't talk, and you don't even have anything left, so I figured... I figured you could start over? Maybe... Just stop being bad?" Cinder's flat look in response to this caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. That cool gaze was capable of piercing anyone's soul, but to see it reduced to half it's potential was... Well, it was almost sad in a way, poetic.

Cinder waited for her to continue.

"I made Uncle Qrow get you a full pardon," she finally admitted, and Cinder's eye went wide. A full pardon? For literally every crime she'd committed? The news stunned her for a moment, and the change in her expression caught Ruby's attention, and she brightened slowly into a smile.

"So you're not completely frigid cold?" she tried, and prompted Cinder's face to fall right back into that icy frown.

"You'd be an idiot not to want one of those," Ruby continued, and kicked at the ground.

"I just felt so bad for what I did to you. I thought, you know, if I don't feel guilty, don't be myself, then what good am I? We got you a pardon, and I bought you a place to stay..." Her foot twisted on a piece of gravel, scraping it across the concrete.

"I'm going to stay there too, cuz Beacon's overran... I hope you don't mind," she finished, and Cinder pressed her face into her palm again. She couldn't believe this shit... But when she finally motioned for Ruby to lead the way, in her grumpy demeanor, gazing aside, she tried to ignore that smile that blossomed from the overly excited Huntress.

Ruby led her to the apartment, and as they stood outside the building, they both looked up.

"It's the third floor, second one on the right. Welcome home, Cinder."

When Ruby left her side, the former villain stood staring after her. For once in her life, she had no idea how to feel... She'd been so possessed by hatred and a thirst for power that she had almost forgotten what other things existed in this world of theirs...

Those eyes, the ones that had taken everything from her, now they were crying over her. Cinder had difficulty understanding this type of a person, and perhaps it was her curiosity, or maybe she was just tired, but took a breath, and walked inside.


	3. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 3: New Beginnings**

Cinder was pleasantly surprised she managed not to find the place repulsive. When she stepped in the door, an expectant Ruby had been awaiting her arrival, and with an eye that managed not to be so callous this time around, she scanned the living room of the apartment as she entered, breezing passed a closet near the door and glancing sidelong to her left at the kitchenette, the counter dividing itself from the start of a hallway.

"Well?" Ruby questioned, before Cinder had really finished taking it all in, and she shot a glare her way, which managed to flounder the silly girl into backing off enough she could stalk into the middle of the floor and take a deep breath.

It smelled like roses in here.

When her eye opened, Cinder was staring out of the bay window that overlooked the street, but what was more interesting is that their third floor clearance managed to give her a clear, perfect view over the building across the street, and in the distance, far out, she could see smoke rising from the chaos she had helped to unleash. The sight made her shudder slightly, and Ruby, taking notice of what she was looking at, quickly threw curtains in front of her eye.

"Check these out! I just got them!" Her cover-up of the heinous crimes Cinder was responsible for was accompanied by the Beacon flag, done up in curtains, now coating the wall over the window. Cinder's confusion didn't allow for much of a response. Was Ruby really going to pretend like it never happened?

It was at about this time that her gaze, in it's aversion from the frivolant girl, settled on a massive weapon hung over the flat monitor across from the couch on the wall.

It was Ruby's sniper-scythe. The one which had put the hole in her shoulder. Ruby was quick to step in front of her, a sheepish look all about her whole demeanor, but it was far too late for that.

Cinder stood, flashing back to that moment, on the burning airship, sinking slowly...

Those eyes stared at her from across the flames and cinders, the ash and the smoke and the tiny embers fluttering passed, reflecting perfectly from that silver gaze... It held that same concern that she'd seen a few times...

Cinder placed both of her hands on either of Ruby's shoulders, and pushed her ever so gently out of the way. She stepped closer, and removed the scythe from the wall, holding it in her hands.

"C-Cinder...?" Ruby questioned, but when she fumbled with the weight of the thing, nearly dropping it on it's heavy end, a hand quickly lashed out and steadied it for her, and Cinder held it up before herself. She looked at Ruby, always one so quick to help, and for a moment there was a pause in the room, her eye fixated on that shining gaze, before her mouth moved into a smirk.

With all that really remained of her strength, she twisted the blade sharply in Ruby's hand, so that the arc of the scythe was pointed right at her. Ruby's reaction was priceless, she became defensive, her brow furrowed with worry, and the anxiety she showed on her face made Cinder delight in allowing such a mental squirming. She let go of the handle, with haughty attitude, and turned on her heel, moseying about the rest of the living room like an art critic attempting to be detached.

Ruby was unsettled, but she put the scythe back on the wall, and watched the other woman. So she didn't mean to attack her? Then why scare her like that...?

"Cinder... I really hope you're taking all of this seriously. I don't want to have another accident..." Cinder stopped in her pacing and looked over at the Huntress, whom was, with balled fists by her side, rigid and staring her way.

"I swear, if you hurt anyone while you're here..."

Cinder had almost forgotten who she was dealing with, here. This wasn't some run of the mill Huntress. This was the leader of a team, a full fledged warrior, one whom had not only defeated her but had a large hand in bringing down the entirety of the force she'd mustered against the pathetic humans.

For a second, she felt like maybe she'd overstepped herself. But in callous rebellion, she didn't dignify Ruby with any kind of response, and instead, moved toward the hallway, a curious hand outstretched, her wounded arm held close to her stomach.

"Oh!" Ruby chimed, and took her wrist, leading her gently.

"This is my room," she said, stopping at the first door and swinging it open. Inside, it was modest, but a fair bit girly, posters of other Huntsmen she seemed to be a fan of lining the walls, a plush rabbit on the bed, a desk with a bouquet of roses in a vase. No wonder the smell was so strong, none of the windows were open. She decided to fix that problem when she'd get the chance.

"And this one is yours!" The door just across from it was now opened, this one facing the street again, Ruby's room was internal and only had a high window leading to the shared hallway of the other units, but hers had a window of her own, with no curtains or anything in the way, and out of it she spotted that same plume of smoke. When she stepped inside, and ignored the modest accommodations, and the perfectly set welcoming gift on her own desk, Ruby frowned immensely, but stepped into the doorway after her.

When Cinder stepped to the window, she felt a soft set of fingers slowly winding up against her own palm, they tugged her back.

"I know what it looks like..." Ruby's voice sounded hesitant, and her touch, both hands, so gently pulling at her own, turned her ever so slightly away from the window.

"But it's not that bad! Really!" Perking up slightly, Ruby released her, but nodded at her, and Cinder's singular glance shot between the smoke and this girl.

"Tch," Cinder managed, and twisted her chin to the side, her gaze not leaving Ruby despite the tilt of her neck. Was she serious?

"W-Well, I mean, we've got it under control, I promise!"

Now Cinder crossed her arms, flattened her brow, and in an unbelieving manner, put her weight on her other hip. Did this girl really think she was so stupid that Cinder didn't know what had happened? The Grimm, with each and every emotion, were stirred into action. The whole world was feeling grim right now, no thanks to herself, and her crew before they'd died... But suddenly, her expression softened, when she realized that those very same negative emotions were largely ones she was feeling right about now herself. So very used to cold indifference, this new situation had brought out her worry, her anxiety, and she felt the urge to have another cigarette, right here in her new home.

The look on Ruby's face told her that was probably a terrible idea.

"Look, please, don't worry about that. We'll get it all back... Grimm are just Grimm, right? Cinder..." When Ruby stepped closer, the gears turning in her head ground to a halt, replaced by sudden aversion to touch when she reached out and tried to place a hand on her shoulder. Cinder wasn't anything short of complex, and the resulting block from her own hand stopped the girl's movement before it became intrusive, and Ruby let out a little gasp.

Cinder finally attempted to say something.

"S... Sss..." Her brow knitted with her concentration, it took a lot to form a word, she had to find the perfect way to say anything with her damaged cords, it was like fitting a piece in a puzzle.

"Ssstopit," she croaked, glaring down at the shorter girl. Her finger flew toward the window, and she pointed at the smoke.

"Bahd," she managed to say now, she knew the situation was worse than it looked from here. Ruby's concerned gaze floated to the floor. She couldn't believe herself, Cinder had forced herself to speak just to get the point across that she knew exactly what was going on.

"I-I know, but... But we'll handle it!" Ruby repeated, her optimism crawling under Cinder's flesh. She was probably right, but how many would die in the process? Cinder was surprised she had even wondered about that, normally, she wouldn't even care. But this newfound reliance on petty human civilization perhaps creeped along her brain's reasoning, obviously if this place were overrun, there wasn't much she could do about it right now...

The moment she noticed that for some odd reason, she hadn't been planning eight steps ahead like normal, well, that was the same moment that Ruby decided to snap her attention back to herself.

"Cinder..." When that tiny voice came, it grated against her again, so much like the cute little bunny she wanted very much to step on, but instead she sat, completely at it's mercy...

"Everything's going to be okay from now on, all right? I'm going to see to it personally that everything you did is erased. No Grimm, no baddies, no White Fang, and we'll even take Beacon back... Just for you. So please..." Now, she noted, the girl grew somber and perhaps a bit more brooding...

"Please, for me, just... Just don't do anything stupid!" The last phrase came with a change in volume, and Cinder's eye widened when she was shouted at, fumbling for a response. Put on the spot, the only thing she could do was return a sheepish look. This didn't seem to satisfy Ruby, who steamed a bit in front of her, giving her a serious face.

Damn, she was cute when she was angry... What?

"I'm serious. You have no idea how hard it was to get everything to this point! Please don't ruin it just because you can... I'm not a little girl. I'm not dumb. I know you're not a nice person, but... But you don't have to be bad! All you have to be, is not angry anymore..."

It suddenly dawned on Cinder that those gentle hands had never left her own. Acutely aware of their tender touch, she jerked her hand back, glancing at it and this girl. Why was she even listening to her? Where, in this crazy world, had she gone from despising this person, to allowing her to even exist, standing in front of her?

And why did she want to squeeze the life out of her, personally, with a hug?

Nothing stopped that last thought, and, with a rather upset noise, Cinder actually did step forward, and wrap her arms around Ruby, squeezing her so tightly it sent what little breath that remained out of her lungs.

"Ahck...wh...Ow!" Ruby breathed, but eventually was released, held at arms length, on both of her shoulders a hand rested, strong, firm, and the confident look that Cinder gave her now made her produce a tiny, sad smile.

Then, Cinder smiled too, and she could only beam back at her. The gesture, with no words, had been rather endearing to her... But she got the point. Cinder was serious about this. There was no ill intent, not now, not after everything had been washed away... In fact, the woman felt as though the world had left it's weight off her shoulders, a tiny flame was kindling deep within, one spark of renewed vigor...

She remembered a childhood, one devoid of the pain she'd felt at her losses, the anger at the world, the desire to overcome it and see it burn... and for the first time in her life since she had lost her innocence, she felt, remarkably, at home. But the silence descended upon the pair of females, and for a moment, she faltered, her face twisting to one of despair once more, but Ruby rose both arms, pushing Cinder's hands free of her shoulders, rolling them down and taking both hands in each of hers again. She gave her another serious, silvery look...

"Then it's settled. You'll stay here, and be on your best behavior, Missy-pardon-pants, until we figure out what to do with you." Cinder slipped her hands free, suddenly, and crossed her arms, and to Ruby's surprise, the one visible cheek she could see under that dark head of hair lit up in a fairly tiny blush, then she took up a haughty pose with her chin raised up and away.

"Oh?" Ruby chanced, and her own face turned to one of knowing, almost...

"Feeling a little weird with the shoe on the other foot, eh?" She wouldn't be herself if she didn't poke fun every now and again, and the obvious flustered look on Cinder's face was just begging for it. She didn't dispute the glare she got back in response.

"Fine, fine... I'll leave you to it, okay? I don't want to impose, and... Well..." Now she became sullen again, pushing those fingers together adorably and glancing back and forth from her feet to Cinder's eye.

"I don't know why... Honestly... But I'm glad you're here now. It's so much nicer to see you acting so normal, and you look so pretty without all the fire and flames..." She giggled to herself, it escalated as it went, until she was laughing. Cinder stewed in front of her, missing the whole point of her emotions. Seriously, how had she even landed herself into dealing with this crazy person?

"I'm sorry... It's not you... I just gotta laugh at all this crazy stuff, huh? Surely you get what I mean... I mean look at us! We're mortal enemies! Or, I thought we were... But..."

Those eyelashes fluttered, that shiny gaze turned to look her dead in the eye like before, and Cinder faltered with a blush at the beauty before her when that light smile graced her face again.

"But just look at us now!"

That phrase, so buoyant and ecstatic, forced her to smile again. Maybe Ruby, out of everything, was right. She wished she could've told her it was fine if she stuck around, but with a dismissive goodbye, she left, and closed the door behind her...

Cinder drooped back into her depression the moment such a bright and endearing force left her.

When she turned around, and her eyes were greeted only by that rough plume of towering black in the distance, she frowned, sheer sadness on her face. Was she wrong to have done all this to these people? Ruby was... Well, nice. She hadn't stepped on a single toe, save for her own, Cinder's eye surely wasn't happy, but... But really, she seemed the type to be incapable of harming even a fly. Such a far cry from everyone she'd ever met in her life, not a single one of them could surpass the innocence she felt from that girl. Nobody in her life had ever stuck their neck out like this for her...

She heaved a sigh. She was tired, and she was going to rest.

 **[Author's Note: I'm glad you guys are seeming to enjoy the story! It's an absolute joy to write. Some backstory about me: I've been a creative writer for 15 years, mostly through roleplay until recently in the last year or so, and I had a character since about 13 years ago whom only had one eye and is also very rarely a speaker. He's fully capable, he just doesn't talk or want to talk or like to talk, because of his horrifying past, but when I watched RWBY season 4, and I saw Cinder and how adorably close to my lovely little Synire she came, I just had to, man. I just had to write this. I'm a huge fan of telling stories without dialogue, because of the challenge and how much you can actually accomplish without needing the characters to speak, so this tickles my fancy. So yes, this story will continue, and probably grow bigger than my initial plans of doing this for the literal shits and giggles and lesbian ship, hopefully into something pretty awesome.**

 **Future chapters are going to include!**

 **Drunk Qrow, pissed off Yang, I'm playing with the idea of a conflicted Blake, and of course, this is going to eventually evolve into a romance between Cinder and Ruby, which I'm excited to portray. I hope you guys are getting the right feels from the characters, and I'm particularly interested to see if you're reading the dialogue in Ruby's voice, because if I'm doing it right, she's acting/saying things she would in the show, or at least, that's what I'm going for. She has a very weird way of striking me as almost sarcastically sweet. So review me! Thanks dudes!]**


	4. Chapter 4: Anxiety

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 4: Anxiety**

When Ruby had mentioned "leave you to it", three days ago, Cinder didn't know that meant she'd be gone that whole time. She'd basically abandoned her here for that time, and Cinder figured it was to go and deal with that menacing black cloud in the distance. All talk, that silly girl, how could she have expected to juggle such a responsibility as reforming a villain side by side with her responsibility as a Huntress?

Cinder, however, as she sat at the bay window of the apartment, was completely overrun with inaction. For three days she'd cooped herself inside of this place, hardly knowing why herself, and fed off of the food left in the fridge. In her eyes, she was preventing it from rotting, but she knew in the back of her mind she was using Ruby for all of this treatment... Maybe, when she regained her strength, she'd spare the girl with the silver eyes and exquisite taste in muffins?

"Tch," she scoffed again, staring idly at some man walking his dog down below. So ignorant these fools in the city, when a mere mile away terror reigned...

Her fist flexed and balled repetitively, and again she felt like slamming it against something...

No. It was time to go outside. Her brain screeched at her to remain idle and wait, but she wasn't the type to let anybody, especially herself, push her around. As she left, she snatched the gift Ruby had left her, sitting there on the desk for three days, taunting her, and she took it with her.

It was a hat. So she put it on.

The basic leather thing lacked conviction in her mind, after all, she wasn't from the country, but as soon as she was out on the street, she noticed why Ruby had chosen it for her.

It looked great on her.

As she left the apartment, having stolen some of Ruby's clothes to blend in, she pulled the collar of her sweater tight against the cold and went for a walk, traipsing aimlessly along the sidewalks of the inner urban area. She noticed some folks had given her a glance here or there... She would've been paranoid about her identity, except she knew they had no clue who she truly was; they were looking at her because she was attractive. So she rolled with it, and puffed on a cigarette while she strolled around town, looking for trouble. Anything to end this silly feeling inside of herself...

It wasn't hard to find it.

In the city, she'd learned, darkness lurked in places, abandoned alleyways, shrunken streets, behind chain-link fences or metal grates...

Her prey today was the easy kind. A simple pack of thugs. She strutted passed them, and of course noticed when they began to prowl along behind her. But she pretended to pay no attention what so ever, as her long legs, adopting a walk uncharacteristically risque, stepped one over another. She shook her hips to the sound of the music in her mind, that never ending cacophony of discord that incessantly bugged her...

And she dragged her finger along the railing of a fence, glancing casually behind her, that one brilliant, sadistic eye giving a knowing glance in the direction of the men that perused her.

They thought, of course, that she was in to them... That was exactly what she'd wanted, and what Cinder wanted, she got.

Her strength hadn't fully returned, but she knew they weren't a match for her...

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," one of the thugs said sarcastically as she stopped, finally allowing them to saunter up to her. Cinder said nothing. She blinked slowly, abusing her eye lashes, and one of the men obviously fawned for her with his strange, lewd gestures.

"I think you're in the wrong neighborhood," another of the three said, and this time, she didn't bat her eye one single bit. The stare she gave him was intense, and for a moment, she saw a hint of fear on his face. But, ever tough in front of his friends, he remained in place.

They were quick to jump into action for their desires when she lifted her leg ever so slightly... It rounded her lovely hip, irresistible to any half-wit who wanted to take what he couldn't have...

The first one went down in a single punch to the jaw. With a straight, right fist, she clocked him so hard that the other two were left in awe for a second when she slid forward in a lunge, and twisted her shoulder, delivering an upward elbow to the underside of another's chin, but the last one...

She caught him by the shirt, and slammed his back up against the wall. He tried to push past her iron grip, but she was incredibly strong, and he grasped her arm and yelped in pain with the force she pressed against him. Her ire burned dark in her eye as she brought her other fist back and-

"STOP!"

Her heart froze when she heard the word, her eye went wide, and she unexpectedly released the man, and glanced to the side, her shocked gaze courting the individual whom had shouted her way.

Ruby stood at the end of the alley, crying. She hadn't seen her for three days, and yet this happened to be the one thing she stumbled upon. Of course. The dreadful tune in her head had just come to a clash, and she stared at the Huntress. How in the world did she do that, Cinder wondered, how was it that her word could command her so? Was it the fact she'd won over her...?

"What are you doing?!" Ruby yelled, and pulled Cinder free of the darkened alley where her would-be assailants lay struggling for consciousness. The one she hadn't assaulted had fled.

Cinder couldn't explain herself. There wasn't a short thing she could say to ease any of this, but she did stiffen in her rage when they finally emerged onto the street.

She pointed with one stern finger at Ruby accusingly, her face furrowing even further into her emotions. How dare she abandon her for three whole days, come right back, and then insinuate that this was here fault in any way?! If it were any other girl here, they'd have been in one hell of a-

"You're... You're actually wearing it?" Ruby said suddenly, her gaze locked right on the cowgirl's hat situated atop her flowing raven locks.

"It... Actually looks amazing," Ruby mentioned, and for a second Cinder sensed some strange hesitation behind that statement. There was some sort of kink somewhere in her armor, it would seem, and perhaps she'd note it for use later... But instead she rose her eyebrow, her mind oddly eased by the statement.

Her feelings were scattering her brain, evidently, because she had suddenly forgotten why she'd been angry... Oh, right, because she'd been DITCHED! Her finger came back up and pointed again, and Ruby finally caved.

"I had to deal with the problem head-on!" she finally blurted, knowing exactly why Cinder was mad, after all she was the one who'd left this second problem here unattended for so long.

Frankly, Ruby was surprised Cinder hadn't burned the town to the ground, instead she'd just been beating up some riffraff...

At about this time, she noticed that they weren't alone. A faunas was staring right at them both, covering her mouth.

"Oh, yeah... And I brought Blake! She didn't believe me when I said you were-"

"What... The hell... Is she doing here?" Blake inquired, and her hand flew to her weapon, she stepped forward, prompting Cinder's stance to shift defensively, a scowl crossing over her features.

Ruby stepped between them.

"Blake, stop it! That's rude!" She shoved the ex-White Fang girl back a step, and held out her arms to each side.

"Are you kidding me? What the hell are you doing harboring that... Criminal!" Her golden eyes flared with anger, and her ear twitched with her feelings. Ruby had to bob side to side to keep Blake from charging her, but she managed to succeed due to her superior reflex.

"I can't believe you, Ruby, of all the people to-!"

"Blake, shut up, she's always doing this. Stray dogs, birds with broken wings..." Yang grabbed the faunas by the shirt and jerked her back.

"Look, I didn't like it either but the sooner you accept it, the better."

Cinder stayed quiet, of course...

"What?! You're in on this too?" Yang blocked a punch from the cat-girl, and rolled her eyes.

"I know my sister. If she trusts this bitch, then let her have her damned pardon and leave it alone. Blake, stop it." Blake growled in response to Yang's words. Cinder couldn't believe she hadn't even noticed their presence over Ruby's. Until they'd spoken, she'd just been absorbed in this girl's appearance, which had bothered her for days...

So she stayed, on the sidelines when Ruby finally moved to her side and they both watched Blake and Yang argue together for quite awhile.

At some point in the chaos, Ruby's hand found her elbow. She leaned over, closer.

"I don't think you're bad, Cinder. Just misguided. Okay? Please don't beat up dumb thugs any more when I'm gone... I have a job, you know. I'm not a little girl," Ruby said to her, softly, and Cinder's gaze met her. Beside them, Yang had Blake in a choke hold, but still the faunas struggled. She was glad Ruby had decided to be quiet with her words.

Blake eventually submitted to Yang's superior sister-fighting skills, honed with years of taming Ruby to stop her from doing stupid things. Blake, it would seem, was forced to accept the fact that Ruby's full pardon fiasco was happening behind everyone's back... But it wasn't the first time she'd had to keep a secret, and she knew her team had done it for her plenty enough...

"Fine, but I don't like it," she said, and Ruby stepped away from Cinder to confront her friend, whom had calmed somewhat.

Nice girl, Cinder thought sarcastically, and lit up a smoke while they debated. She wasn't exactly going to be a large part of this conversation, anyway. Ruby made a face at her, but she disregarded it, and leaned on the corner of the alley.

When Ruby had finally explained everything to Blake, the faunas left in a huff, and Yang gave her a few stern words about stepping out of line. It would seem, though, that Cinder had well established her place long before this had even happened, she had no intention of returning to her criminality. It would be a very, very bad move in her current situation.

But, without a goal in mind, any way, she didn't have any further reason to manipulate anybody... Except maybe...

Ruby...

Her eye fell on that fragile little thing, and as she pulled her cigarette from her mouth, the smoke rolling from her lips, they twisted into a devious smile. Now that she was back...

 **[Author's Note: Gee I wonder how I've been feeling tonight... I swear this anxiety is giving me ADHD but it helped me write Cinder. Also Cinder in a cowboy hat because YES. Now she's officially "good Cinder", right? Psh, hahaha... Anyway.**

 **Blake's not happy, Yang's only rolling with it because it's Ruby's thing, I wonder how Weiss might feel...? XD I also love the thought of Cinder sitting at home eating ice cream for three solid days, depressed cuz she lost... But that's not quite canon here, cuz she has to eat other things to be realistic!]**


	5. Chapter 5: Anger

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 5: Anger**

Whatever Cinder had thought she'd accomplish, trying to persuade Ruby to do her bidding, without her words her charismatic personality suffered and she paid dearly for it with every moment she stopped and gave in to idle thought. Ruby was far tougher mentally than she'd ever expected. Resilient to the core, devout in her beliefs... The rumors her friends circulated were true; Ruby, it would seem, was indeed an unstoppable force. Tales of her times on the field against the Grimm were expunged quickly and profusely by locals... Her team dynamic didn't seem the same, to Cinder, it was as if Blake remained distant, Yang remained quiet, and she hadn't even seen that white-haired capitalist anywhere near this city in some time.

But worst of all, their obvious lack of communication forced the wall between them to grow. Brick by brick, the little things, unsaid both by her speechless state and Ruby's lack of conviction... They piled up swiftly.

Within hours of Ruby's return, they were both home again, devoid of Yang or Blake, and for the first time in a week or so, they faced one another, as if on the battlefield again...

Ruby had slammed the front door when she entered later in the evening, finally having dealt with her team. Cinder stepped into the hall, naturally, wondering what was going on, but the red cloak that was drawn so tightly by the balled fists alerted her that all wasn't well. Cinder hadn't exactly been forward in her living here, she'd kept to her room, biding her time... Planning, maybe, for the future. But Ruby had been off fighting, removing, expunging and otherwise destroying countless monsters, with each day, it grew more tedious... Cinder had seen her slow spiral into the pit of tired skepticism that she'd enjoyed maybe a decade ago, when she was but a mere child...

Ruby didn't, however, glance her way. This struck Cinder as odd, with the cloaked figure floating just before her, so quiet with her footsteps as she simply flopped onto the couch and breathed out the deepest sigh she'd probably ever heard.

Cinder stepped out, finally, making sure she moved with enough noise to alert the other female to her presence. It was hard being a mouse, she thought idly, but Ruby's tightly shut eyes drew her curiosity, and she sat on the wooden rocking chair across from the couch, she hadn't realized how sturdy and comfortable it would be...

"I can't believe it," Ruby said suddenly, the crack in the silence made Cinder flinch, she'd never done well with surprises...

"I literally cannot believe how you've managed to do this."

Cinder, for the first time in days, felt suddenly guilty. The only person to really acknowledge the devastation she'd caused, well, it was Ruby, right here and now. Blake just hated her, Yang on the same principle, but Ruby...

The flutter of petals before her barely even registered it's brilliant crimson and her mind blanked out in that same shade from the pain, it coursed through her as Ruby shoved her palm straight against the bullet wound in her shoulder. Ruby's round had been shot clean through, the kind of wound that most doctors would say was lucky. If the round had been stuck in her tendons, the damage to remove it wouldn't have allowed her to keep her arm as it had been... In this sort of city, the doctors would of course recommend mechanical replacement. All this flashed through her mind with the pain, and she knew, truly, that Ruby was no ordinary girl. Her Semblance defied the eye... And she only had the one.

When the shove pressed her into the wall, Cinder tried to let out a noise of pain, but it ended up choked and hushed, and Ruby pressed her wounded shoulder harder into the firm drywall.

"I'm not just going to sit here and pretend like I don't know what you're up to," Ruby stated sternly, her silvered cornea bouncing the light from the hallway harshly with the angle. Cinder was taken aback. She'd expected it would be so easy to just play innocent, like the Grimm were nothing of her own doing, and yet...

When Ruby's palm twisted, she nearly lost the contents of her lungs, her bangs falling even further over her face as she leaned in pain. Her good hand shot up, and gripped Ruby's forearm tightly, but Cinder hadn't quite healed enough... The thugs in the alley, untrained in Aura, surely they weren't a match for her even in a weakened state, but...

Ruby moved closer. She stared intently, examining Cinder as she squirmed underneath the debilitating attack. Pain shot through her shoulder, her arm... Was this what being a weakling felt like...? Her mind blanked again when Ruby pushed a second powerful press against that bullet hole, and she yelped, finally, in pain, her face twisting as her hoarse voice failed to fully grasp what she felt.

"You're not going to do it again, Cinder," Ruby said, her voice melodic, yet somber.

So it hadn't meant a thing, Cinder thought, surely, the end was near... When the pressure finally ceased, her mind snapped back to reality, and she gasped, clutching her shoulder as the bandages began to show a stain of red. Ruby was still standing there, watching her, a stern expression on her face. Cinder was at a loss. Without a way to explain, what was she to do?

"I'm sorry, Cinder," Ruby said, she sounded so genuine, but in her pain Cinder's abilities came to her. Her hand shot out, and squeezed Ruby's wrist with the strongest pressure she could muster... Her Aura coursed over her body as the heat in her hand climbed slowly higher... The noise she got in return for her own made her almost quiver in delight; Ruby didn't realize the burn until it really sank in, and the resulting scream built slowly and gained a pleasant momentum. Cinder looked down on her with a callous gaze as she curled, but a bead of sweat streamed down her face, her cheek...

It took so much out of her just to do this, that she eventually released her, and ended up panting, stumbling back a step.

Ruby's lustrous gaze had teared yet again, and Cinder felt no different than the last few times she'd seen it. Real quick to cry, this shallow thing, she thought. But Ruby's expression warped a few times between the different emotions of what she felt, and then she finally cocked and stomped one foot to the floor. Surely the second floor tenants weren't happy with the resulting loud, hollow boom of the boxy housing unit below them...

But now, they remained at an impasse. Ruby didn't want to dignify her with words any further, and surely Cinder wasn't going to go out of her way again just to tell this silly girl where she was failing. Instead, her singular gaze sharpened on the Huntress, and as they stared one another down, Cinder decided to play her usual dirty game. With just the slightest tilt of her head, a bare smirk gracing her lips, she taunted Ruby right into the first move. The dash forward was blinding, but she caught it. She knew Ruby was nothing without her scythe, and they both knew that neither of them were willing to tear apart this living room.

The resulting brawl was actually quite low-impact on their aura, Ruby was terrible hand-to-hand, but crafty at slipping around Cinder's every motion. Her knack with throwing various objects kept Cinder on her guard, and she attempted to tackle her numerously only to miss and plow into any resulting furniture, at one point tipping the couch and growling loudly. But Ruby made a fatal mistake when she retreated to her bedroom...

Having been here alone for three whole days, Cinder had been bored enough to find some paper, a simple pen and pencil, probably from Ruby's school supplies, and begun drawing. She'd sketched the whole of Ruby's bedroom... She knew exactly where everything was.

Ruby flew back to her bed, and began tossing pillows at her. Cinder, uncaring of material goods, caught them both and torched them immediately. The remnants drifted to the floor, threatening to light the carpet on fire.

Her eye, her dignity, her voice... And now what? Cowering in fear even though she was still weak?

"Cinder!" Ruby finally shouted, her name bringing pause to her steps.

"I know it's hard for you to accept it. It's hard for me, too... But we can't keep doing this until one of us is gone... What are you trying to gain?" Cinder stood posed, ready to light the bed on fire as Ruby stood. Her serious demeanor got Cinder's attention, and for a second, she actually questioned this in herself; when Ruby kicked the blanket over her head, though, and tackled her, she didn't see it coming. Surprisingly, the dexterous Red managed to pin both her wrists away from the fabric, and with most of her body's thin weight, pin her legs. Cinder thrashed with anything she could muster, but she'd already used every ounce of power she'd had just to try strangling the brat.

Again, such a dumb plan, and yet Cinder didn't see it coming. She squirmed and squirmed, but eventually came to a rest under the blanket, and carefully, Ruby removed it, still sitting on her, hands up, guarded. Her face was once again serious, but Cinder no longer trusted to read her directly like she'd thought she could.

"There. Now that you're not quite trying to kill me anymore, since you can't talk, I'll do the talking. Just nod or shake, okay?"

She had to be bipolar. When she'd come through the door, she'd been almost sad, Cinder was sure, but now... That hand hovered upward, suddenly, over her wound, and Cinder's eye shot right for that smiling silver gaze.

She wouldn't dare...

"I know what you were planning, Cinder," Ruby's small voice chirped to her, and she made a face in response.

"You're not the one who came out on top. I..." This time, because of where they were situated, with Cinder pinned to the floor, dreading her wound being disturbed again, Ruby's tears fell right onto her forehead. Her eye twitched, and her fingers came out to wipe them free.

She didn't have energy, but Ruby didn't have experience. She was so easy to upset... Cinder's good hand pushed Ruby back, and she sat up. She noticed Ruby's sudden hesitation, like she were concentrating on her thoughts.

For the first time, Ruby steeled herself in a way that Cinder actually saw, and it clicked that this was where her bursts of vigor seemed to come in.

"Did you expect to seize power or something?!" she yelled, and pointed, her fingertip close enough to Cinder's chin that she tilted her head back slightly. But then, she slowly shook her head.

That finger jabbed closer again, and she frowned slightly.

"Are you trying to kill off all of humanity for the faunas?!" Cinder gave her a flat look for playing the silly White Fang race card, but shook her head again. Of course, she would never, ever tell anybody her true intentions, even if this little brat was growing on her... The aching pain in her shoulder was a reminder that Ruby seemed to know exactly how strong she was. For somebody so innocent to throw their weight around like this... And just for her?

Ruby grabbed her by the shirt and rolled her up from the floor, plopping her back down with a hard thud that shook her attention again and she stared upward at the fiery red-tipped hair so close to those silver eyes.

"Stop it, Cinder. Whatever you're plotting, just stop it!" Her emotions were boiling, and for some odd reason, Cinder was slowly calming, becoming gradually aware that she was regaining the hold of this situation. But as if breaking that final piece of resistance within herself, she caved, unable to really fight, and instead thought it best to maybe deal with the heaping ball of sadness that Ruby became within seconds before her.

Ah, yes. She'd been there herself, plenty of times. What was left of her sympathy mustered, and she scooted a bit closer, sighing, one of the rare noises she could still produce, and guided the girl's head into her lap. As she'd expected, this girl had lied to her. Cinder had won, in a way, over the hearts and minds of many people with her carefully orchestrated attack... And now, she could only just look at her. This was the product she'd produced, Ruby curled up on the floor next to her. Her hand found the girl's colored locks.

Cinder could remember a time much like this for herself. This was wrong. Ruby was right, she shouldn't be causing the same events that might turn others into what she'd become. She knew that in this state, neither of them would get anywhere, and surely it was better to simply reach a common ground...

The whimper that came from Ruby caught her concern, though, and she frowned, and pushed Ruby until her body uncurled and forced her to look up at her eye.

"Mhn," she muttered, and examined her from a few different angles, Ruby's surprise staving off her further tears.

Sad over loss, Cinder concluded, and brushed the girl's hood flat against her shoulders, continuing to examine her with that singular, piercing eye.

"What are you doing?" Ruby suddenly wondered aloud, but Cinder merely smirked, and glanced around the apartment. The devastation from their little wrestling match was rather evident, with a fair amount of the decorations spread about in skewed order. Ruby blushed when she realized what had happened. It hadn't really been Cinder's fault, in fact, it was hers. She'd started it. Her face scrunched up, and Cinder's instead became more jovial, until she let out a hoarse whisper of a laugh. Ruby slowly laughed as well...

"You sound like a dying horse!" she said, and then continued to laugh even harder, but Cinder was no longer laughing. She shoved Ruby roughly to the floor, one finger heating, burning hot like an oven when she quickly poked Ruby's nose. The heat was so strong she flinched, and her nose twitched, the tip felt pain, and she parted her lips, body curling slightly in reaction. Cinder would have to note that reaction for later... She liked it.

She let Ruby up, and watched her carefully as they both finally regained their composure in the living room, Ruby feeling the need to pace back and forth across the floor, Cinder opted to lean against the counter.

She stared at Ruby, obviously wanting to know what her plan was now. Her brilliant idea of sticking two opposing enemies in the same living quarters seemed to barely be working for her favor, but Cinder wasn't amused in the slightest, now, and Ruby's finally drying eyes decided truth was her best option here.

"I've been trying really hard to clean up this mess you made," Ruby stated.

"I... I'm out there, every day, slaying these monsters you forced on us. But I still think, you know? I think about it all... Why would you do this? But I guess I get it... You did it, you know, because you could. Because Beacon was too weak. We were cocky, we didn't see it coming... Whatever it was..." Ruby looked her way, those eyes now intense, their deep pools piercing her in a way she'd not seen yet. Ruby was dead serious.

"You're going to help us fix it. I can't just leave you here. Starting tomorrow, you're coming with me on my missions. You're destroying these Grimm. You're going to help us hunt down that last little worm you hired, Neapolitan, and help us bring her to justice... Or, I'm going to hand you over to Yang and Blake and Weiss, and see what they make of you. Got it?" She jabbed a finger into Cinder's chest, and she was at a loss to do anything more than produce a look of disdain in return.

"Fff-..." Cinder's breathy, injured voice strained. Ruby's face lost it's antagonizing feature and suddenly became worried as she once again witnessed what it was like for her to speak. The guilt that flooded her heart bit so hard that she knew it had to be right what she was trying to do here with her.

Pyrrha... Of course she wondered, what would she think? Helping out the one whom had slain her? But then she had to ask herself... Was it any different when they'd killed Emerald? Mercury? Adam?

Where they really very different? It was like a trade, an exchange... But still, Cinder was the only one left standing. That had to mean something, and Ruby watched her with concern as she struggled to speak.

"Fffine," she managed, taking in a couple sharp breaths. Her brow furrowed.

"If you're strong enough to fight with me you're strong enough to take on Grimm. I'm going to show you exactly why being a Huntsman is far better than whatever it is you were going for..." As her voice trailed, it became almost disgusted, and for once, Ruby was the one who grew haughty, standing and walking toward her room.

"By the way... I dunno what you do in there for so long, but if you're going to shut yourself off from the world in your room, at least get a hobby. Night, Cin."

The nickname made her eye twitch. She would've protested if she were capable... The door to Ruby's room shut, locked, and the silence descended upon her. What just happened? Had she gone from being understandably angry to completely disarmed, yet again? In a gradual, slow pace, she made her way back to her room, and locked up for the night herself, falling asleep in rather short order.


	6. Chapter 6: Anguish

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 6: Anguish**

The rain fell heavily on the evacuated outskirts of the city, the suburb much like a ghost town as their team moved through the streets. Yang and Blake stuck close to one another, not yet trusting the fourth member of their little outing as Cinder pulled up behind them with Ruby. She would have to prove herself if they were to ever accept it, Cinder thought to herself as she watched the sharp yellow of Yang's hair flow in the wind. She'd taken Ruby's hat with them to keep the water out of her eye, having just the one made it far more dangerous to be blinding oneself during the gusts of wind, so she wore the brow low and put her arm in a sling to keep it from jostling and reopening her wound that Ruby had so lovingly already reopened the night before.

They were nearing more of the smoke where the Grimm had descended on evacuating citizens, their torment at being removed from their homes only further honing them in on that location. By the time they arrived on the scene, the mass chaos of people being overrun by the monsters slowly began to filter in as they rolled along. The first handful of Grimm were dispatched quickly with only a few shots from Ruby, her accuracy was impressive to say the least, and as they went, each and every time they came across somebody whom had fallen over or broken down, she always stopped to help them. Even those that Blake and Yang seemed to leave alone, she acknowledged, her demeanor was sickeningly optimistic as she told them they would be safe, sent them on their ways...

Cinder took her chance to dig into the action when a young family barreled passed her, screaming for their lives as a small horde of the worthless beings chased after them, and she stepped in their way. The small-time Grimm roared in their death throes when she dispatched them each with a burning hand, one strike was all it took... The five of them met their deaths, and she watched the backs of the retreating civilians as they made their escape. Ruby shouted for her attention from a nearby rooftop, she was firing on another group on the other side of the building, and Cinder ran around.

While Ruby's urgency had been evident, she didn't expect to see what she saw next.

An entire group of school children were fleeing for their lives and the only thing between them and the Grimm was the dangerous suppressive fire coming from a sniper rifle. Her face wound up in concern, but it only doubled the moment she saw the first one go down. In a stain of blood, one of the children was jumped upon by several of the beasts, torn to pieces in a crimson mess as Ruby desperately tried to gun them down. Even Cinder couldn't stand for children to be harmed, but to see it so close...

Her brain fired on all cylinders the moment her realization faded, she had to act now or another one of those tasty morsels would fall to the slobbering jowls of some hungry Grimm. She sprinted between the children, using all of what little strength she had to dart between targets, trying to stay out of the way of the incoming rifle rounds. She slowed gradually, however, panting with exertion as she spat fire at the countless mass, slashing down growling bone mask after gnashing, fanged jaw. But it was no use, they just kept coming, some of the children didn't make it out...

She could hear, off to her left, the cry of a child screaming for help. Underneath some piece of fallen debris, a slat of splintered wood, a girl cowered as it fended off a menacing feline Grimm, and Cinder came to her rescue. She moved up behind it, grabbed the horn protruding from it's head, and twisted its neck harshly so her eye met its gaze, and with a strong blow, she put her fist right through its ivory mask, and it dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. The girl crawled out from under the board she hid behind, looking up at her with big, youthful eyes. She was clutching a dirty doll, and for a moment, Cinder looked at her with a gentle face.

"Th-Thank you," the girl said simply, and ran off, after the other fleeing children.

When she turned back to see the tide of Grimm still approaching, she was already breathing harder than she'd imagined she would today, and even from her higher vantage, Ruby noticed that she wouldn't last long down there. With a mighty roar, and the crack of a gunshot, she lept from the roof and crashed straight into the fray, the blade of her scythe wheeling through a few of the Grimm as she landed. Cinder watched, clutching her shoulder momentarily, as the girl became a blur, zipping between enemies, dropping them with the skill and precision hardly matched by any. It was impressive to watch, in fact, and for a second, that was all she could do, fixated on this warrior as she met her foe head-on.

Ruby roared with each kill, releasing all of the frustration that Cinder was sure she'd caused, taking it out on these "poor innocent beasts," as she finally decided to jokingly refer to them after watching the ruthless sniper-scythe berserker. Only did she interfere when the battle had been won, Blake and Yang had taken a flank and now pushed through to them, ending the quarrel, bodies everywhere... Some human, too, and Cinder's eye traced the battlefield. At one end, Ruby was raging, repeatedly stabbing one of the largest Grimm out there over and over with her blade like it was some kind of executioner's axe.

Cinder took it upon herself to approach and lay a hand on her shoulder. But she didn't expect Ruby to wheel and turn on her, slapping her wrist away, and giving her an angry look.

"Now do you get it, Cinder?!" she cried, obviously upset at having to see innocent children murdered by the ferocious beasts. But Cinder understood completely, she had seen it too, and she watched with a concerned eye as Ruby's emotions took the better of her yet again. She fell to her knees, clutching her face in her hands, and Cinder cast her gaze to the side. Yang and Blake looked sad, they stood and watched until Ruby was ready to stand again. She let out a pitiful cry of frustration, Cinder was sure somebody like her only blamed herself for any losses they encountered. But on the bright side, this area was clear for now...

They didn't have much time to let Ruby wallow in her despair, as screams and crashes alerted them to yet another wave of the Grimm. Her eye went wide. It was coming from the direction the kids had just ran in. All of them exchanged quick glances, and they were off together, moving as fast as they could to intercept the assailants.

The second wave was smaller, but the damage had been done. When they'd dispatched their enemy, Cinder walked along the torn-up street, stopping to stoop and pick up a doll, the dirty one from before, and she held it in her hand, the reality of what had happened sinking in on her. To save a life, only to have it meaninglessly taken anyway... The nearby pool of blood caught her gaze from the corner of her eye, but she didn't look, to see that girl there would've been too much, instead she clutched the doll tight, grimacing. This time, it was Ruby who approached her, placed her hand on her shoulder. Cinder, unlike Ruby, didn't fight it.

"Now maybe you get why this is so important to me," Ruby said to her, but Cinder couldn't look at her, not after what they'd seen today... Instead, her guilt caused her to berate herself internally, Ruby could only make a face at the Maiden, she didn't understand how guilty Cinder might feel, but she at least knew that something had gotten through that icy demeanor of hers.

"Not so fun when you're the one dealing with the problems, is it?" she almost taunted, and Cinder's spark of rebelliousness caused her to cast a glare her way. Rub it in, why didn't she do that a little more? As if it wasn't bad enough that her attempt at a change of heart was causing her grief already?

Ruby backed off at that look, though, instead letting her serious face fade into one more sad. There hopefully would be no third wave of Grimm today, but... She took a moment to look around them, and, seeing this, so too did Cinder. The rain was washing blood and the thick, black ichor of the Grimm together, it streamed about them in various webs of life fluids lost.

'What a mess,' Cinder thought, another pang of guilt flooding her. What had made her think this was such a good idea? To prove to these worthless civilians just how weak they really were, was that even something that needed to be proven in such a way? Why, praytell, did she never think that innocent children might die because of her choices? Ruby's frustration boiled over once more, and she shouted at the sky, nothing in particular. The enemy she fought was dauntless and never rested. It felt like an uphill battle this whole time, and there was simply no escaping this reality of their world. Somewhere deep in her heart she knew, knew that the Grimm weren't going to ever stop or go away, she knew this wasn't going to be the last time something like this would happen. But Cinder knew even more than her emotions were getting dangerous. She would only draw more, and so to snap her out of it, and give her some focus, she grasped her shoulder and gave her a rough shake, Ruby's head wobbled with the motion and she shook it to clear it.

"Cinder's right, Ruby, get a hold of yourself. You've been worse than Weiss lately, you'd better get a grip or else you'll threaten this whole mission," Yang said as she approached them, hands on her hips. Blake was too guarded to get near Cinder, but she was keeping an eye out for any survivors anyway. Ruby nodded to her sister, and took a deep breath. Everything was just difficult for her right now... To deal with the worst invasion of Grimm in history wasn't exactly endearing, and to top it all off, the one who'd caused it was now living in her home. If she hadn't seen it herself that Cinder was actually helping, right now, she was sure she'd have attacked her again out of sheer need to blame something. She shouldered her scythe, and heaved a sigh to release the last bit of tension building within her, and collectively they walked away from the scene, the pattering rain breaching the silence of the dead street, washing it clean of the sins all around them.

None of them looked back when they walked away from the gruesome mess of battle.

Blake and Yang ordered Ruby to get some rest, and, probably not wanting to deal with her in the slightest, told her to take Cinder back with her. They promised to take it from there, but neither of them were willing to allow Ruby in her emotional state to continue fighting. They were all aware of the risks that held, so Ruby could only agree. Together with Cinder, they left the evacuation zone, Ruby a ball of worry, face reflecting her conflicted feelings as they walked along the empty streets. Cinder wished, then, that she could say something, maybe correct that foul plague of reality that had drooped over the girl she'd thought was a far more cheerful person than she'd seen lately. The whole time they went, she was staring, and eventually, after a couple sideways glances and double-takes, Ruby noticed.

"What?" she snapped, and Cinder frowned, looking away. Like she could answer that. Ruby sighed, though, her own guilt stirring when her stress seemed to be effecting her treatment of people. She always hated it when her feelings made her do this. But she didn't bother to apologize, instead she just stared back for a few seconds, then looked away again.

When they finally made it to the apartment, Ruby felt like shutting herself off in her room, much like Cinder seemed to enjoy doing, but the other female saw to it that didn't happen, because the moment they were alone again, and that door closed behind her, Cinder grabbed the girl and spun her about face.

She stared her down, her eye narrowing as she reached out to take Ruby's chin in her fingers, tilting her head side to side, examining her like she had the night before. This was still a new thing to Ruby, she had no clue what it was Cinder could possibly want with such a calculating gesture, but she was being gentle, and the look on her face seemed... Well, about as concerned as Cinder ever could seem.

"Sssit," Cinder hissed, and gave her a light shove toward the couch. Ruby did as she was told, and Cinder paced away, into her room for a moment, rumaging for something. She came back with some of Ruby's school supplies she'd stolen, sitting on the couch next to her, but Ruby got the idea. Cinder was finally ready to attempt real communication, she guessed it, and sure enough the pencil met paper, but rather than words, it drew a picture. For minutes she sketched, but kept glancing up at Ruby, back and forth between her and the paper. When curiosity finally got the better of her, Ruby tried to lean over and see what she was working on.

"What are you drawing?" she asked innocently, her problems seemed forgotten for the moment in her somewhat childish curiosity, but Cinder didn't show her just yet, making a few more lines on the paper, it seemed like she was adding shading, and that suspicion was proved correct when she turned the drawing around.

It was Ruby, a reflection of what her face looked like right now. She looked tired... Sad. Scared. Angry. All at once. How Cinder had managed to really capture the essence of what she was feeling, using her own visage, she wasn't sure, but it pointed at a talent that she hadn't been aware of in Cinder's possession.

"You're an artist?" she wondered aloud, and Cinder perked up slightly at the mention of such a title. She didn't view herself as something so great as one capable of that kind of creation, to create art, no... She was more like a camera, taking a bit of life and simply sticking it onto paper. It was an old hobby, from before her life had been consumed by cons and lies and murder. A forgotten talent that only recently, out of boredom, had resurfaced. But either way, it did the trick, and Ruby reached over, their hands brushing ever so gently as she took the picture from Cinder's fingers. How she managed to keep them so soft, handling a weapon like that, Cinder could only wonder, but she watched the reaction of the girl looking at her own face, her eyes grew dark and wet, and she covered her mouth with a hand.

Cinder wasn't interested in seeing her crying yet again, how many times had that been in just two days? So instead, she reached out, and lifted that chin again. She examined her like before, and with surprise on her face now, Ruby could only wonder what it was that kept her so interested in each and every angle her face could make. When a finger pressed against her throat and lifted her head all the way back, her eyes widened as a hand slipped around her throat, like it could squeeze the life right out of her. Instinctively, her hands came up to grip Cinder's wrist, but when she didn't clamp it down, didn't strangle her, she grew confused.

"C-Cinder, what are you doing...?" Her fingers found the woman's and curled them off of her neck, pulling that hand away from where it was making her so very uncomfortable. Cinder had no words to describe what she'd meant with that gesture, but she made it clear in another sense... She made several other dangerous motions, slow and deliberate, that had she been holding a weapon, probably would've harmed Ruby quite simply.

"Are you... Trying to tell me something?" she wondered aloud, and Cinder smirked slowly at her. Of course she was. Cinder moved closer, almost like a snake, slowly winding her arm out of its sling, raising her hands again, wrapping them around Ruby's neck. She gently but firmly pushed her back onto the couch, acting as though she were actually strangling her... But yet, she wasn't. What could it mean?

"You're saying you want to kill me?" Ruby tried, but Cinder's smirk didn't leave, and she shook her head slowly side to side.

"But you want to strangle me..." She nodded slowly now, her eye catching a remnant of her sadistic nature, and when Ruby had it, the hand slid away gently, but then one flew sideways, tapping her in the cheek, like she was slapping her.

"And slap me..." She'd done that one before, although admittedly Ruby had needed it...

"And punch me," she added when Cinder mockingly did so, but then, she held up a singular finger.

"But...?" Cinder's eye grew a bit more serious, and she reached out, her fingertips brushing Ruby's cheek, so light it made her almost flinch, and as she stared back at that predatory gaze, her heart thumped in her chest. Those fingers brushed up her cheek, and moved to her temple, then another hand joined it on the other side of her head, and Cinder's fingers began rubbing. Ruby closed her eyes, her breath falling softly from her lips as Cinder massaged her temples, and her head lolled to the cushion of the couch, Cinder lingered over her. A part of her delighted in changing her emotions so wildly, calming her with only a simple touch... If she wanted, she knew she could step on her toes too, and make her fly about the room in a rage, but today she used her power of emotional manipulation to calm the Huntress, whom only partially understood why.

"But you..." she purred, her tiredness slipping into her mind at the relaxing massage, she really was exhausted... Anxiety had kept her from getting any meaningful rest for days now, she tossed and turned so much at night... Part of her was struggling with her choices, with keeping Cinder around, the other part of her was in despair over seeing so much life lost. But now, in this moment, that was all gone, and for once her mind felt like it was filled with fluffy grey clouds, if she weren't so relaxed she might've even questioned if this was an actual power Cinder's abilities granted her or something...

"But you don't..." Now she was whispering, and the look of calm on her face brought out the beauty of her lashes as they fell against her rosy cheeks...

'No, little worm, like a morsel waiting for it's bird to be eaten, you cannot know how important you are...' Cinder's thoughts entertained that notion for a time. This person, this... Huntress, this warrior, she was special. In battle, she was like a hurricane, and out of it, a tornado, but every storm had to die down sooner or later, and Cinder knew that the last thing Ruby was thinking about was herself. Cinder, of course, was the opposite... Cinder always got what she wanted, and since she wanted Ruby to calm down, that's what she got.

Finally, when she was relaxed enough, and the silence had fallen on the room once more, Ruby opened those lovely silver pools and stared up at her.

"Why don't you just kill me?" she asked, seeming genuinely interested in knowing the answer to that question, but Cinder only smiled to her, the sort of smile that said she'd never tell. Mostly because she couldn't, but then again that question was more or less rhetorical anyway.

"I just really don't get it. This whole time, and after all of it, you're still here, you didn't even leave. I left you alone for three whole days, and all you did was mope around my apartment. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you gave up finally. It's like I said before..." She pushed herself up, and their faces, once on the same level, mirrored a look to one another that said more than any words Cinder might've mustered.

"It's because I beat you," she finally stated, and Cinder glared, but slowly nodded. Ruby, having figured it out, blossomed slightly, her shifting moods sort of hard to follow, but at least this one saw her becoming less of an upset mess.

"I can't believe it! You want to throttle me, but you're accepting it all because you lost?" Cinder rolled her wrist, bobbed her head back and forth, as if to say "more or less", though it was clear enough that there was more to it.

"Wait... Do you actually... Want to change?" Ruby inquired, suddenly suspicious, and Cinder's gaze grew pained, as though that question had wounded her far more than any bullet to the shoulder could. Want to change? She already had changed. She hadn't always been so misguided in her intentions, hadn't always wished to harm people. Now, though, she felt disarmed again, venerable under the unseen force of Ruby's power over her.

"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean it like that. That was a stupid question." She scooted closer on the couch, and placed her hand over Cinder's.

"What I meant to ask was... How are you holding up? You can't really just, tell me, I guess... and all this time I never even stopped to ask how you were feeling about everything. That's rude, and I apologize. But you just pointed it out yourself, I've been so stressed..." Cinder pushed a finger up to Ruby's lips, she was rambling, and if there was one thing becoming mostly mute had taught her, it was that some people just didn't take the time to pick their words carefully. Ruby was definitely one of those people.

Cinder leaned over, and wrote a single word underneath the picture of Ruby's face.

"CONFUSED", it said, and she tapped the word a few times for emphasis.

"Really, really confused," Ruby chimed, and Cinder nodded. She supposed that she could imagine that, considering the drastic and sudden shift and the way everything had gone. The would-be villain had certainly seemed conflicted, what with attacking those men, fighting with her over next to nothing, all those glares she shot back at Blake any time the two looked each others way... The whole thing was a conflict, it all went against the grain, and at the center of it, was Ruby, the instigator of all of it... She felt stupid, for a moment, to have blindly charged in yet again like she was some amateur.

"Yeah... Me too," she offered, and her face twisted slightly in that very same confusion when she noticed Cinder was giving her a look. Her eye was a bit wide, her mouth drooping slightly, not quite a frown but... There was a light blush on her visible cheek.

"What...?" Ruby wondered aloud, why was she staring now? When Cinder's finger shifted under her palm, her own cheeks grew red and she realized she'd been trapping Cinder's hand under her own for a few minutes now. She pulled her hand away, but as she did so, Cinder caught her by the wrist, and instead held her hand up between them, examining it like she had with her face a few times now. She pulled apart her fingers, touched the webbings between them, rolled a couple of her secondary knuckles between two fingers... Ruby's other hand was near her mouth, as she tried not to blush at how strange this made her feel.

"Um... That's my hand," she said softly, and Cinder smirked at her through her held up fingers. Of course she knew that. It was these hands of hers that had done so many deeds she'd been witness to, and having felt them before, she was too curious about their gentle nature. She curled Ruby's hand into a fist, then uncurled it, the examination was far longer than the one of her face had been. She didn't understand what Cinder's fascination was with her fingers, but feeling her rough flesh when she toyed with her palm made her shiver ever so slightly.

Perhaps she might've been a great deal less comfortable if Cinder's attention hadn't shifted back to her face. She released that hand, and caught her chin before she could move away, prompting a small noise of protest from the pale female. But Cinder held her still for a second so she wouldn't squirm, and then aligned her face straight, staring into her eyes with that single, calculating amber one of her own.

"Uhhm..." Ruby hummed softly, her cheeks lighting up as Cinder leaned closer. Those eyes, those were probably the best part of this whole package... So gorgeous, like lakes reflecting the sun, they could burn and they could flood... It wasn't quite evident to either of them, just yet, but what Cinder wanted, Cinder got...

She leaned closer still, and Ruby leaned back and away out of simple instinct, but Cinder's slow advance finally put their faces close enough that Ruby's flesh tingled. She wasn't sure what was happening, however when Cinder's lips moved close to her ear, the slight breeze of her breath rolling against her flesh, she swallowed hard.

"Your eyes are a gift," Cinder whispered to her, Ruby until this point hadn't known she was capable of such speech still, it was a relief in and of itself, washing a small bit of her guilt for doing that to a person in the first place away. But the words, of course, meant more than the fact she could use them...

"M-My eyes? Cinder, I didn't know you could whisper..." Their proximity was momentarily forgotten by the Huntress, but Cinder, as she was leaning, had to inch her body over to keep her balance. Her thigh brushed Ruby's.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Cinder purred, and the moment she had been waiting for arrived, she felt her dominant nature stir, and she grinned, letting the movement ever so carefully brush the smallest amount of her lips along the shell of the girl's ear. The full-body shudder this created made Cinder's blood burn in the best of ways.

"I'm not helpless, like you, Ruby," Cinder whispered, and her fingers brushed the girl's cheek ever so slightly on the side where her face was not, prompting Ruby to grow a bit rigid, even more uncomfortable than before.

"Look at you," Cinder said ever so quietly.

"Squirming... So quick to throw yourself at other people's problems... It's pathetic." She'd managed, despite the tiny volume she could muster, to make the last word sound harsh. It was meant to be, because she was right. Ruby was pitiful in many ways.

"But look at you," she said now, her voice growing thick with a seductive glaze.

"Run yourself into the ground, little worm, so the birds can come find you..." Ruby didn't know whether she wanted to shove Cinder away, or keep listening to this. She was being cryptic again, and Ruby couldn't help but feel like her emotions were being played with much like a cat would a ball of yarn. This much, though, was at least true, and one of Ruby's hands moved up to Cinder's chest, pushing against her ever so slightly, a sign of her comfort leaving her. But she didn't shove, just made it known...

"It's too easy," Cinder purred to her, those fingers sliding over the edge of her jaw, and trailing one finger down her neck, over her collar bone.

"Too easy to lose sight of what you really want... Just. Like. Me." With each of those three words, Cinder emphasized her breath so it slid against her skin again, and Ruby twitched, blushed, her hand fisting up some of Cinder's shirt collar. Was she right? Did they both share that trait? Had they lost sight of what they truly wanted?

"I just want the Grimm to go away," Ruby whispered back, choking slightly with her emotion, but Cinder only smiled deviously again, hidden from Ruby's view as it was with her position near her ear.

"You just want to stop feeling this way," Cinder corrected her, and Ruby tensed again. Perhaps that statement was more correct than she wanted to give it credit for... Cinder's voice was so tiny, but her touch kept her aware of just how close they'd been for nearly two minutes.

"And me? Well... I thought maybe I wanted power... But now I see that power chooses you, not the other way around. So what do I want? All I really wanted, everything I've done... I wanted to create a home for myself. But now you've given me one, so what do I want?" Her words sunk in, and even though she'd stopped speaking, she stayed close like that, Ruby was holding herself up with one hand behind her, the other still clutching Cinder's shirt.

"You just want..." Ruby thought about it. Could she really answer such a deep question for Cinder, the way she'd done for her? She was right, Ruby just wanted to stop feeling this way. Stop letting the death get to her, to stop the emotional roller coaster that her job forced on her. To stop being so frustrated with her problems, to stop having to wake up and know that the day would see even more destruction.

"You just want a purpose," Ruby finally stated, but when she said this, she pushed Cinder back so they were face to face again. Cinder searched her gaze, which seemed serious enough, and she contemplated this. A purpose. A sense of purpose, could that be the much more simple answer to her confusion, her loss of direction? She mulled it over, but then slowly nodded. Ruby smiled at her, a genuine smile, the first one she'd seen on her face since she'd got out of the hospital. Cinder offered a smile in return, though hers played to a more devious nature. She wasn't done playing with her newfound toy.

She slipped her legs sideways, now, and crawled up onto all fours, slowly approaching the girl whom had already leaned back on the couch, and she moved over her, causing her to shrink in reaction as Cinder loomed above her, hovering. Her fingers came out once more to find Ruby's cheek, and as she cupped it, wiping that smile right off her face, replacing it with a look of confused embarrassment, her own smile twisted with her pleasure at seeing her so helplessly cave in like that. With just that little bit of a movement, she'd reduced Ruby to a mumbling mess, she stammered for something to say when the beautiful woman closed in on her.

Cinder drifted closer, and for a moment, Ruby's heart pounded, as their faces neared. She went stiff, unmoving, hoping whatever it was Cinder was about to do wouldn't hurt. She felt like a child caught stealing cookies, but when Cinder's face, mere hairs away from her own, slipped to the side again, she loosened up, and again the woman whispered to her.

"Your eyes are a gift," she said again, "not because of their strength, but because of their beauty." When she said that, Cinder was delighted to find the chaos spreading through Ruby's mind. She backed up a bit so she could watch her reaction as it twisted through her pitiful thoughts, and she took a moment, face scrunching in confusion. What did she mean by that? And, coming from a woman with looks like Cinder's, the compliment not only meant more, but it shook her, for her awareness of the other female's provocative nature rose, and with it, blossomed her loss of composure.

"I-I..." she fumbled, and Cinder grinned down at her, and her hands moved out, grasping Ruby's wrists, bringing them over her head. She pinned them to the back of the couch, and straddled her hips, reveling in the face Ruby made, her eyes closing, that little squeak of surprise, her mouth shutting tight and her cheeks puffing ever so slightly as she held her breath... Cinder waited for the right moment. Ruby finally opened her eyes, and with her other hand, Cinder lifted her chin, and pressed their lips together. Ruby's shock was evident enough the way her eyes widened, and stared into the half-lidded one Cinder let linger for her gaze to meet, before she shut it, and kissed her firmly. When she moved back away, the hot mess of a Huntress beneath her slowly struggled to make sense of what just happened.

It was absolutely glorious.

"D-d-did you just?" she stammered, her cheeks so red by now they were threatening to rival her cloak. Cinder gave her the smirk of a lifetime, and beside herself as she was, Ruby felt herself flood with all sorts of emotions at the implications of what she'd just done.

What was worse is that she didn't know why she hadn't stopped Cinder from doing any of this. She cast her glance away, wrists squirming where they were held, unable to find much in the way of words. Cinder's lips drifted to her ear again.

"Consider this the only form of thanks I'll probably ever give you for what you've done," Cinder whispered, and moved to give her a genuine grateful smile, before switching sides to her other ear.

"But I always get what I want one way or another... And if I need a sense of purpose, then I'll have it... But I'm also taking those lovely eyes for my own, too..." Ruby was still fairly young, but surely she understood what she meant. She swallowed hard again, and squirmed up against Cinder, at a loss for words still. It took a moment, but eventually they came to her.

"I can't believe you," she pouted, suddenly snapping from her flustered demeanor. She managed to free her hands, but the only thing she did with them was cross her arms and her head cocked to the side, and she huffed.

"You didn't even ask if you could do that," she mentioned, and Cinder's eyebrow rose, though her grin didn't leave. She shrugged, almost as if that point didn't matter one bit to her, and then she crossed her own arms as well, and they stared at each other in silence for a few more seconds. Ruby would come to terms with it soon enough, she figured, and when it clicked, she watched as Ruby pointed an accusing finger at her.

"If you tell Blake that you kissed me, I'll gut you," came the threat, and Cinder rolled her eyes. She wouldn't be telling much of anything to anybody, that much she'd thought would've been obvious. But still she waited, giving the girl time to process.

"I..." She drooped, looking away still, shut her eyes tightly, took a breath, then admitted it.

"I liked it. You're... Kind of forward," she admitted, her cheeks matching her name for a moment longer, but then she glared back at Cinder.

"But you can't just act like that's okay behavior! I'm not some... Chew toy for you to take out your teething pains on." Cinder wanted to laugh at the comparison, but she held it in. She wasn't trying to be rude to the girl. No, that kiss was genuinely her way of thanking Ruby for what she was doing for her.

"Are you going to get off me now?" Ruby asked in annoyance, but Cinder shook her head, continuing to smile at her. The girl pouted more, but rather than help the situation, it only made Cinder fawn over her as if she were some sort of cute puppy, patting her head, squishing their cheeks together, nuzzling her. She growled, it slowly built in momentum, and she shoved Cinder off of her. The hoarse laugh she got prompted her to stand up, and turn her chin.

"Hmph. The nerve... I ought to slap you, Cinder, and I would, too, if I didn't feel better than when we got home. You're lucky you calmed me down first."

She cocked her hip, looked over her shoulder, and gave Cinder another one of those wonderful smiles. Cinder, this time, smiled back just as softly, and didn't stop her as she walked away from her. When she entered the hallway, she turned back and leaned around the wall to give her one last look. This one surprised even Cinder, because she hadn't known that Ruby was capable of making such a lewd face.

"Next time, use tongue," she advised, and then disappeared into her room, leaving Cinder blinking after her. After a moment her confusion dulled into humor, and she smiled, chuckling to herself. She knew Ruby was finally going to rest, and she hoped maybe she'd helped settle her mind down enough with a clever distraction that maybe she'd sleep off all this anguish and leave her emotions at the door the next time they went to battle.

Her mind lazily drifted to thoughts of the children she'd seen slaughtered, as the crimson of the sunset reminded her of their blood spilled by the Grimm, the Grimm which she'd helped bring here. Guilt slid over her, but then she remembered, that look of determination on Ruby's face earlier when she'd told Cinder how she felt, yelled at her out in the field.

"Now maybe you get why this is so important to me," she repeated to herself, but it was true. What good had her attack done if it had dissolved into slaughtering innocent children? That of course wasn't her target. No, they weren't some corrupt higher ups in the military, they weren't some fat cat bureaucrat who should burn along with the world they choose to lie to create.

The worry gave way to thoughts of the Huntress she now lived with, which eased her mind. Maybe this was what they'd both needed? Somebody who wasn't afraid to show them what they'd been missing... For her, she supposed, it was kindness, and for Ruby, maybe, it was somebody strong to lean on. Somebody like her.

The smile she wore became far more content as she slipped off into a nap of her own on the couch, her last thoughts before her usual terrifying dreams were of Ruby's lips, and how they were as soft as rose petals.

 **[Author's Note: Okay okay, I'll just come out and say it: this is by far the most forced pairing I've ever written in all my years of writing. But I don't care, I like it! This has been a total challenge, one of the hardest projects by far I think I've chosen to work on, both because getting it right is difficult both because it's hard not to step on my own toes but also because there's a whole lot of dynamic involved in order to have everything seem like it's not forced as much as possible. XD**

 **I tried to make this chapter longer and better than the sorry excuse that was Chapter 5, because seriously it makes me cringe. But I liked this chapter, so I hope you do too!]**


	7. Chapter 7: Dye Me a River, Red

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 7: Dye Me a River, Red**

It hadn't taken long for the kiss to go forgotten, and over the next couple of days, the missions were intense enough that they took all of the focus that Ruby could muster, and Cinder, tagging along on each of her missions, continued to heal slowly, her power coming back to her in the fires of battle, she stayed off her arm and thankfully Ruby was playing nice with her again. They'd been out on patrol now, again with Yang and Blake, though the two of them were growing far more wary of her involvement with Yang's sister. Yang in particular found it very specifically strange that Cinder would follow any order Ruby gave, almost with no hesitation, when even herself or Blake might have issue with a certain tactic. The driving force of why she'd suddenly dropped the stubborn act was beyond her, but in reality, Cinder knew the value of having a leader calling the shots, and nothing more. Her favoritism for Ruby was blatantly obvious, considering she was really the only Huntress who'd give her the time of day, and for good reason, but her dedication to mopping up the mess she'd caused was questionable at best.

Twice Blake had noticed, due to her frequent repositioning and her Semblance, that Cinder had wandered away from their patrol. Where she'd gone was anyone's guess, she'd reappeared a few minutes later, but one had to wonder what such a sinister character could be doing just off on the sidelines. It wasn't a wonder to Yang when she'd come to her asking about it, and they'd both agreed that Cinder's intentions could be nothing short of nefarious. Plus, they had still been getting reports of a girl with two-tone hair and heterochromia drifting in from all over Vale, it seemed they had a rogue element that still clung to the plan of upsetting the power. What then, the two of them had wondered, were the odds that conspiracy was quite afoot in their realm of resistance? To Blake, it was completely certain, but the doubt that wafted it's way into Yang's brain came only from the fact that Ruby genuinely seemed to trust Cinder.

But today her suspicions were tested again, because today, Cinder kept staring at her sister, in a way that was making her quite uncomfortable. The look struck her as devious, but Cinder's face naturally sort of did, and in her mind, she was simply admiring one part or another of the red-cloaked girl. However, this wasn't so obvious to anyone else, and it was Blake who finally voiced her concern.

"What is wrong with you?" she blurted as they walked, this sector of the city had been mostly quiet all day. Cinder, however, being suddenly caught red-handed, arched her eyebrow and gave Blake a questioning look as they all slowly came to a halt.

"You've been staring at the back of Ruby's head off and on for the past half an hour. If you've got something to say, then why don't you just say it?!" Nevermind the fact it wasn't that easy... Yang crossed her arms, and stood next to Blake, siding with her.

"Don't you think we don't notice the things you do, Cinder? Where'd you go yesterday during the battle with the wolf Grimms, huh? Off to cavort with your little ice-cream themed lackey, no doubt?" She narrowed her eyes, and Cinder narrowed her one eye right back. First of all, she'd got it wrong. Neapolitan worked for the late great Roman Torchwick, though now, that meant the strange woman was certainly beholden to no one. Besides, her disappearances were easy enough to explain, if she'd been able to, Cinder had a knack for knowing the pattern of Grimm attacks, and usually her tactic when fighting a pack involved at some point searching for other groups that may have split nearby. Usually, catching them when they were scattered like that was a far more potent plan than waiting for the heat of battle to draw the others in. But still, the accusation sparked interest with Ruby, and soon enough she found herself standing on her own side all by herself again, and Ruby gave her a concerned look.

Yang went next.

"I'm tired of the elephant in the room, so I'm just gunna say it. You need to quit acting like you belong here, because you just don't!" So finally they'd grown tired of this little game Ruby had arranged for them? The test of a lifetime, stare a murderer in the face and don't blink!

"Yang, that's not fair, she's out here hunting with us," Ruby tried, but Blake held up her hand.

"Yang's right, I'm sick of this. We don't know if she's just waiting to heal so she can take us down when our backs are turned... I for one, don't like dealing with pulling knives out of my back anymore. And what would Jaune say, Ruby?" Yang backed her up on that point, voicing her concern for the very same thing. Emotions were running, and Cinder started a mental timer in her head. Grimm in five minutes and counting, if this kept up... She looked with a pleading eye to Ruby, whom was unfortunately forced to speak for her in this situation.

"Look, guys, I know she's not really part of our team, but... Cinder is on our side, I'm pretty sure. Why wouldn't she throw fights to see us lose? Sabotage?" She looked worriedly to Cinder, who's eyebrow rose curiously at the thought. Mm, sabotage. Definitely her style, but... No, that wasn't her intention at all. She shook her head, crossed her arms, and huffed at Blake, who's ears twitched, and she growled, clenching her fist.

"You're going to regret letting her live, mark my words, Ruby. Her type can never come back from darkness. I would know... It's what claimed Adam."

Now Ruby finally had the excuse she needed to step across the circle onto Cinder's side.

"You were a White Fang too, Blake!" she shouted, grimacing, and Yang cut the air with a downward hand.

"That was before they were the bad guys!" she defended her partner, but Cinder shook her head in disagreement. The White Fang had always been bad. They'd just lacked... Conviction, direction, and a strong sense of teamwork. Cinder had helped give that to them, and sure they'd done some things that were far nastier than before, but she had never seen the group as anything less than what it was; an organization bred from hate, whether in reaction to it or because of it being in their hearts. A shame, really, that they hadn't done a better job before the Huntsmen got to them...

"Yang, Blake, not another word. As your leader I-" Blake threw up her hands, cutting the girl off by raising her volume over her.

"The leader card, seriously?! This isn't team Ruby, it's team RWBY. I know for a fact that's not spelled with a C, she doesn't belong here." Cinder felt like maybe she didn't even need to be standing here, listening to this, since they kept addressing her like she wasn't right here, instead preferring to interact entirely through Ruby. Cinder grew annoyed at this, because it wasn't fair to the girl, and so far, with all of her crazy emotions, she'd still managed to be the only one who seemed sane around here.

It became clear to her, the moment she caught that tiny slight of hand, Blake flicking her safety off of her pistol, that this could potentially be bad.

"Blake, she didn't do anything wrong," Ruby tried, but that only prompted her to double up on her points.

"She killed Pyrrha, Ruby! Did you forget that?!" her escalating voice rang out along the empty street, and Cinder took a minute off the Grimm timer mentally, staying prepared for the eventuality.

"No..." Ruby said sadly, faltering slightly as she looked to Cinder. That cold, icy stare was all that met her, but she knew what Cinder was probably thinking. To her, it hadn't had anything to do with Pyrrha, she'd shot that arrow to kill the Fall Maiden, an unintended target just so happened to have been transferred to their friend...

"Why isn't that bad enough for you?" Yang barked, and Ruby shied away from her aggressiveness, Cinder grimaced.

"Because maybe she didn't want to do it!" Ruby finally shot back, and Blake froze with an angry look washing over her. Who cared if she had or not, they'd lost a friend that day and it was all thanks to Cinder.

"Yes, she stole the Fall Maiden's powers... But if you were in her situation, and up against Ozpin, and the Maiden, and that was your goal... It just seems like you're being harsh on her just because she was on the wrong side of a full blown war," she stated, and broke into an elongated explanation about how arbitrary it might have seemed for her at the time, it could've been anyone, maybe not even Pyrrha.

Yang finally had enough of it and shoved Ruby out of the way, baring her fists at Cinder, who had adopted her usual callous demeanor again. Three minutes.

"Yang, stop it!" the girl cried, and grasped her sister's arm, but she shrugged her off and threw the first punch. Blake jeered behind her, goading her to kick Cinder's ass, but Cinder caught the fist with her good arm, and held it there, opposing. She didn't attack back, but was forced to block a flurry of kicks and punches too quick to be stopped before they happened. Luckily they hadn't been fighting Grimm yet today, and Cinder was able to keep from harm, but she was sure it was by the grace that Yang didn't seem fully intent on blowing her head off with those dangerous shotguns, as she didn't fire any of her rounds before she was tackled to the ground by Ruby. They broke into a squabble amongst themselves, and instead left Blake and Cinder at an impasse, Blake's fingers rolled along the hilt of her weapon.

Cinder's cool eye stared her down, neither of them wanted to make the first move, but Cinder hadn't even wanted this fight to begin with. To her, Yang and Blake were nobodies, they were completely inconsequential now that she wasn't attempting more villainy, but it would seem that they still felt the need to get in the way of her plans. Yang won over Ruby, and pinned her into a headlock, which wouldn't have been a good thing, except for the whining reaction this made Ruby take.

"Ow, owww, Yang you know dad told you you're not allowed to use this move! You could choke me or put an eye out!" The situation defused around the comical display, at least for Blake, whom always found it amusing when Ruby and Yang had their sisterly quarrels. Her demeanor shifted slightly, from hostile to at least calm, if not still wary, eyes still hooked on Cinder's movements.

The muted female approached Yang where she held Ruby in her arms, and although Yang pointed a free gauntlet her way in warning, she kept her movements slow and deliberate as she approached, and leaned down toward Ruby. The girl was helpless when Cinder flicked her in the nose a couple times. She couldn't really defend herself from the light assault.

"Waaahhh, seriously? Now even you're ganging up on me?" Blake and Yang shared a glance, and Cinder straightened up with a smile. Yang lowered her weapon.

Grimm in one minute.

"Let her go, Yang," Blake commanded, and she finally released her sister, who coughed a bit and rubbed at her neck.

"Everyone calm now? Can we stop arguing?" Ruby chimed, and Cinder brought attention to herself with a gesture. She waved around, indicating their patrol should probably resume, and considering their little temper tantrums, Grimm were certainly on the way. As if to agree with her, they heard one in the distance nearby, the cry floating in on the wind that was threatening to summon rainclouds over their heads once more.

They moved toward the sound, of course, that was why they were here. Clear the area, keep them out of the city, make sure the people were safe, that was the name of the game. The authorities had held the less rundown areas of Vale, no doubt because of the assets of the wealthy there, those with power or money of course got to be saved first... A fact that perturbed most people, but most of all, it bothered Cinder still. The girl with the dirty, ragged doll could've been saved if only they'd sacrificed a few fat cat bankers or dust company executives.

"Seriously, Ruby, even if she didn't want to kill Pyrrha, I'm having serious doubts about Cinder," Yang mentioned, having pulled Ruby to the side as they went in order to keep the menace out of ear shot.

"Blake says she disappears in fights some times, and we know what she's capable of... We shouldn't let her out of our sight." Ruby's brow furrowed in concern, for she supposed it was a legitimate reason that Yang had to be suspicious. She didn't want to impose on Cinder, but she also couldn't ignore her other team mate's views. And besides, of course they all missed Pyrrha. But surely somebody Cinder had lost made her feel the same way? The street went both ways, and although she was wrong about that fact, that Cinder didn't miss a single one of those pawns in that chess game she'd had, she wasn't wrong that Cinder knew loss.

"Are you guys talking about Cinder behind her back?" Blake questioned, sidling up to them and leaving Cinder to take point up front while they gossiped. She wasn't stupid, she knew it was about her, but if it was going to make them feel better, she'd simply allow it.

"I want in," Blake added, and Ruby groaned lightly.

"Okay, guys, look... I know what it might seem like, but she's actually a very normal person! Sort of! When she's not brooding at home she... Well, she can draw? That's normal, right?" The other two exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"That's a stupid hobby anyone could have, I don't care if you can draw some dumb art if you turn around and stab a child or-"

"But she never has! She doesn't attack children, she's not a monster like that! She saved them, too! I can't believe you guys don't trust me..." Yang pointed forward at Cinder's back, some twenty paces in front of them as she searched for the Grimm they'd heard earlier.

"I just don't trust that one," Yang stated, and as her hand fell back to her side, she sniffed lightly.

"I haven't seen her so much as give anyone but you the time of day," Yang started, "and on top of that, she's really creepy whenever she looks at you... It's like... a hungry Grimm, one that wants to devour you whole..." Ruby remembered some of the gazes she'd received from Cinder, but for the life of her, she didn't know what Yang was on about... The only expression she'd seen that matched that description had meant a very, very different thing. It sounded to her like Cinder had been...

"You're wrong, her eyes always look like that. Besides, she glares at Blake all the time too." She seemed rather adamant about defending Cinder, enough so that Yang grew worried by it. Up ahead, Cinder downed the stray Grimm, and it didn't seem like any more were nearby, but they kept on their patrol path anyway.

"Well, I bet if Weiss were here, she'd agree with us," Blake said, "and on top of that, have you even confronted her about Pyrrha yet?"

"Well, no, but..."

"And what about that train bombing, what about Beacon?"

"No..." The silence that drifted over them for a moment grew pregnant as Blake's internal rage threatened to boil out.

"You really don't think much before you act, do you Ruby?" Yang questioned, and the girl gave her a cheerful smile.

"Nope!" This caused a collective double-groan from her teammates.

"Weiss had better come back from her training with Winter soon, or I'm going to throw a fit. How come whenever she's gone, Ruby gets to do whatever she wants? All I wanted to do was punch Cinder in the gut, one real good one for Pyrrha. But no, I can't even have that." Yang pounded her fist into her other palm.

"Ruby, the moment she does anything, and I mean anything that goes against what you're telling us, she's a dead man walking," Blake stated, and poked Ruby roughly in the arm. She made a face and rubbed the spot, but nodded.

"I'm not saying that might not happen," Ruby mentioned, "but I think it's unlikely. Cinder is... Complicated. Sometimes, I think she likes me, and other times... Well, it's pretty obvious she'd strangle me if it would make her feel any better. But, I'm pretty sure she knows it won't. It won't do a darn thing." She put her hands behind her back, and sighed.

"I know it's not much, but... I think I did it for my mom. You remember how she was, Yang... She could find the good in anyone. I guess, this was just my attempt to be something like her. Already I've seen that she wasn't wrong... Cinder's dark, she loves toying with me, but so far she hasn't hurt me any more than the side effects of her plans before she lost everything. And in case you two boneheads haven't noticed, I haven't exactly been the most friendly to her in the past." They all watched Cinder walk with that casual, leggy strut, her air of superiority evident even from such a distance.

"I realized I took pretty much everything from her. I don't think I was wrong to do so, but now that she's got nothing and nobody, well, the least I could do was let her have a friend. So for now, that's what we are. Friends." The word came confidently enough, but still managed to sound sour to both Blake and Yang. Yang couldn't dispute the fact that their mother may have done something similar given a chance should she still have been in the picture, a second chance could be all someone needed to turn their life around. She watched Cinder's back, eying the tattoo in the center of it. If Ruby's heart was set, her hands were often tied, but she'd learned to trust her judgement, anywhere from stuffing a dog into a backpack, to knowing when to give up, which was typically, for her, never. Ruby was a problem solver, and she had grown so very independent lately, however the stress of being a Huntress weighed on them all. At least, Yang thought, she could be sure that this wasn't some lapse of that judgement misplaced in another sick puppy that would turn into a ravenous hound when it was fixed.

Blake blew a raspberry at the sob-story, and her ears flattened as she gave a look of disbelieving Ruby, but it didn't do much to sway her out of the way she felt. No, doing that would've taken a ten ton bomb strapped to a train.

"Yeah well if she's so great why doesn't she find her own stupid team?" Blake wondered, but finally Yang socked her in the arm and shook her head.

"Stop it, Blake. We can't talk about this here. You're upsetting Ruby again." It was true, the girl was starting to frown more and more the longer they entertained the subject. The whole situation was tricky, but they weren't going to solve it by attracting every Grimm in a five mile radius. The Grimm in this part of the city were varied and scattered, mostly small creatures picking through the remains of other Grimm or a poor soul fallen to them. Much of Vale was still overrun, but the other Huntsmen teams were indeed around, and because of this fact, Ruby found her mind drifting to Jaune and the lack of his fourth member. She dreaded what that conversation was going to be like. She knew how he could get when he lost his temper, there would be no consoling him, and likely, Nora and Ren would side with him, too. She didn't like the fact that somewhere out here, a team of three was wandering, that ticking time bomb just waiting to cross their paths.

Ruby jogged to catch up to Cinder, leaving Yang and Blake to steam about the situation among themselves. Cinder, when she'd finally been acknowledged again, gave a light smile to Ruby, which was returned with a nod, and for now, she could feel accepted, at least enough to get on with her life. The patrol concluded easily enough, and once more they parted ways, but on their way home, ran into a familiar face.

"Sal-u-tations, Ruby!" Penny called from across the street when they were walking by, and crossed over enthusiastically to meet them.

"I see this one here is still looking... Erm..." Cinder was scowling at her, so she dropped the subject.

"Hi Penny," Ruby greeted, giving her a minuscule wave. It was so much nicer to see the android back in working order, even if she'd been forced to forget all the summer plans they'd been making by way of a memory wipe. Penny's semi-blank stare drifted between the two of them at fairly predictable intervals, hinting at her robotic nature as she contemplated the situation.

"Yang and Blake don't really follow you around much anymore, do they?" she asked, suddenly concerned as her processor spat out the programmed emotions the moment they were generated. Cinder disliked this one, she'd liked it better when some silly Atlas tech had been strewn about an arena floor. Organic life was far more preferable to... whatever this was.

"They don't like Cinder," Ruby explained, and Cinder looked to the red-hooded girl, her grimace asking the question of why she'd even bother answering that when she was standing right here.

"Well why ever not? She seems... Nice," Penny offered, even a machine couldn't lie that well, Cinder noticed, and crossed her arms, still showing her distaste for this conversation.

"Penny... Really doesn't remember, then, I guess..." The oblivious mechanoid rocked on her feet.

"Remember what?" she asked, and Cinder gave a tentative touch to Ruby's arm, warning her to watch her words here. She had seen the schematics, she knew Penny's design, and the moment it sensed danger to itself, the combat mode would activate. This wasn't something she wished to talk about with the thing around.

"Just an... Accident that happened." Cinder grinned wickedly, because oh, it had been no accident. She remembered that glorious moment, when the soul of every member of that audience had dropped into a pit of despair so deep she could practically have used it to boil stew for the whole city. Such silly, frivolous people, putting their adoration into a machine purpose-built to look adorable enough that it could blind side you with spinning, bladed death.

"Oh. Well you should be more careful, then, Cindy," she stated, somehow getting her name wrong, and the vein that threatened to burst in her anger as she grated her teeth was fairly evident, enough so that Ruby began to push the steaming woman on by.

"We gotta go now, Penny, but um... Talk to you later, okay?" Ruby finally stated, and the two of them moved around Penny, and continued walking, but now Cinder had grown into a foul mood once more, and she couldn't help but stare as the Maiden pinched the bridge of her nose, grumbling quiet noises to herself. She wondered if it was hard for Cinder to endure this kind of treatment. Having to skirt around every conversation, just to be accepted. There was a reason Ruby had been avoiding the conversation she knew needed to happen, it bothered her to see Cinder so agitated like this, her rage was building and soon enough she'd probably have another fight on her hands to try and calm the woman.

"They just don't know you yet," Ruby said, even if the same could be said about her.

"I'm sure they can move on if you can. You've come so far already, remember, you can't snap now just because nobody trusts you." Cinder gave her a grimace, the kind that implied she didn't believe her, she very well could snap and break someone's jaw any time she wanted. Maybe even start with Ruby, if she kept running her mouth in white-knight defense of everybody all the time.

"Ngh," Cinder fumed in her frustration, and Ruby stopped them for a moment, touching her hand lightly.

"It'll all be okay."

Cinder watched her carefully as she said this, and when Ruby turned away, she realized they were home, and that was why they'd paused, it leant credibility to Ruby's statement, and in such a sweet voice, it echoed through her mind.

It'll all be okay. Sometimes, just hearing that was enough to calm a person, and it did take it's effect as Cinder followed the girl inside.

There was something familiar enough about doing this, and when they entered the apartment together, once more, deja vu trickled through Cinder's mind. She remembered how, just a few days ago, everything had felt just like that moment, walking in, looked like it too. That vivid red cloak, the dark, two-tone hair, and those eyes, as they glanced back her way. She remembered the moment she'd had, the burning joy she'd felt making Ruby confused, making her squirm... That kiss...

Perhaps she'd overstepped herself, then, even if it had had the desired effect? Since that day, things tended to get slightly awkward when they were alone like this, and sure enough, she noticed the blush returning to Ruby's cheeks as the couch alone was enough to bring back the memory. But neither of them mentioned it, and instead it created a tense atmosphere for Ruby, enough that she was quick to dismiss herself for a much-needed shower. This left Cinder to her room until she could do the same.

They did eat dinner together, just some pasta that Ruby threw together, however Cinder wondered if maybe she were wary of her in such a way, when she'd not asked her to help with the dishes, and Cinder, since she knew a thing or two about machinations of manipulation, took this as a way of avoiding closer quarters. So she had had an effect? Good, she spent her time instead on the couch, lounging, making sure Ruby had to see her every time she looked up from the sink. But Cinder didn't look her way, no, it was too perfect enough to ruin her concentration just by sitting around.

Finally, it forced Ruby's hand, because she'd thought about it long enough to figure there was a reason why they weren't quite acknowledging one another.

"Cinder, why did you kiss me?" she suddenly asked, which prompted her to sit up on the couch, and look over. She thought about it, letting her face work up a really detailed look of false contemplation, and then she shrugged like it was nothing. Ruby didn't like that answer, and she stewed it over for a bit, grumbling. Cinder had told her, it was to thank her, but really she was enjoying how much it had seemed to mess with the girl, who faltered where she stood at the lack of a real reason. Her mind filtered through the possibilities; one, Cinder liked her, two, Cinder was a jerk, or three, Cinder was a jerk. She settled on 'Cinder was a jerk.'

But her torment didn't end there, she became acutely aware of the look Cinder was giving her now. The light curiosity, almost detached, and she floated from the couch and to the counter of the kitchen, leaning against it with her elbows, resting her chin on her hands. She batted long lashes at Ruby.

"What do you want now?" the girl asked in mock-disdain, but Cinder motioned her over slowly, with one long digit. Ruby blushed at how sultry it seemed, but she moved closer, until Cinder repeated the gesture, and she leaned forward. If she hadn't fallen for it before, she might've this time, but when Cinder moved to her ear, she knew her closing in was only to do just that.

"Don't flatter yourself too much," Cinder whispered, her voice every bit as poisonous as it always seemed when she spoke continuously.

But that was all she said, and Ruby blushed again, this time more with annoyance as her face went red from the statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she blurted, and all she received was that nonchalant shrug from before, thrown right back in her face again.

She growled, she wouldn't take that, and she aimed for Cinder's good shoulder when she lept right over the counter and tackled her, knocking her in her surprise straight to the floor. Cinder was luckily not injured in the process, but now had a very enthusiastic short Red Riding Hood climbing about her, trying to wrestle her into a submissive headlock. Cinder just let her body go rigid, unamused as she was tugged in different directions without much result.

"You jerk! You don't just do that to somebody, then... Then... Mmrrr!" She was trying to lift Cinder enough to get her arm around her neck, but she didn't manage well at all with Cinder's dead weight. She just smiled in that sinister manner, until eventually Ruby tired herself out, and Cinder merely pushed her off. The Huntress rolled into her face, defeated, her rump in the air as she groaned in displeasure.

"Not fair at all, how could I? How could I be so taken by the pretty one...!" she lamented melodramatically, and Cinder rolled her eye. Was it really such a big deal, to make over one little thing? But still, she had to admit, Ruby made for an entertaining puppet to dangle about by the strings. When Ruby had fallen silent, and hadn't moved in a few seconds, Cinder, having already got up off the floor, poked her in the ribs with her toes.

She got a groan in response, so she prodded harder, until instead she got a loud "ow!" and the girl rolled onto her back. With one hand wound into her own hair, Ruby looked up at her with the eye not blocked by her hand, and sighed.

"I guess I just wanted my first kiss to mean something," she said in a sad, languid manner, and Cinder's eye widened slightly. First one? Ohhh no, she groaned mentally, what had she done? She pressed her palm to her face and groaned softly herself. What had been intended as nothing more than a nice gesture had ended up being taken as one more endearing, and she had unwittingly stolen such an attachment and arbitrary label. Never mind the fact they'd both seemed to enjoy it, she wasn't all about causing childish girls to attach themselves so deeply they... Say... Defended her every move?

There was no way around it, she'd have to deal with this situation, too, or risk further complications. She moved to her knees over the girl, and leaned down. Ruby got the wrong idea, falling for the trick this time when she slipped toward her ear, filling with a slight hint of disappointment when she wanted to speak, but Ruby wanted something else...

"You are too quick to trust. Your friends were right not to trust me, and now here you are again, digging yourself a hole..." In this moment, the closeness, that smell of roses again, they reminded her of what she'd said, that sense of purpose. For Ruby, it would seem, she could find a sense of purpose in everything, even something as simple as a first kiss.

"If I told you it was just a thank-you, why place it on such a silly pedestal? Surely, you don't think a shared experience constitutes a relationship?" She would have pulled away then, leaving her to contemplate her words, but Ruby stopped her with her words, while their faces still floated side by side.

"It doesn't," she returned, "but that doesn't mean it couldn't." Cinder was surprised to see the look on Ruby's face when she slipped back, and sat next to her, looking down. Oh, the poor worm, waiting for the bird to be eaten...

Cinder had to lean back down, but this time, she pulled at Ruby's cloak, hoisting her up slightly so she didn't have to change positions.

"But, you forget, dearest Ruby... I'm the bad guy here," she whispered, and though Ruby shook her head in protest, Cinder gave a moment for her to process that statement.

"You'd be a fool to think you could handle me. You're barely able to control your team," she insulted, and let her sink back to the floor, hovering over her so their eyes would meet once more. Ruby was frowning, but then, with her blinding speed, there was a sudden force on the side of Cinder's face, and her head twisted with the slap to her cheek. Now Ruby was glaring.

"You really do have some nerve. I keep them from ripping you limb from limb, while you're still weakened, and you spout your mouth off like that?" She smoothed her cloak from where Cinder had released her, and remained laying in the carpet, strangely not seeking to move from that spot, though she crossed her arms to couple that with her stare. Cinder touched her cheek where she'd been hit, and glowered down in her sparked rage.

Ruby really had a way of pissing her off...

"Now if you can't say something nice, don't say anything to me. You screwed up, Cinder, and that was definitely on you, even if I liked it." Cinder frowned, having forgotten, for a moment, that this was still about the theft of Ruby's first kiss. So she leaned down, and brought those lips close to her ear once more.

"I'm sorry," she managed simply, and Ruby smirked at her minor victory.

"That's better," she chimed, and Cinder grimaced again, though this time, when she closed her eyes and looked away, something found her cheek, over the sting from the slap, and those soft, delicate fingers brushed her flesh. They ran over her scar, which covered much of that side of her face, of course... Ruby brushed the hair out of Cinder's eyes, and touched the rough flesh in a couple of places...

"I really did this, huh?" she wondered aloud, but Cinder stole her hand from it's place with her own, and nodded. She didn't like it when it was touched, or even really noticed... But she supposed it had, indeed, been caused by this goofy girl and her mysterious power.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. And I know you are, too, about everything you did. You don't have to say it, okay? Just tell me it's true? I don't think I could stand it if..." She choked back her words, but Cinder got the point. Did she feel remorse for her actions? No, not all of them... But the one big one that had been winding her up, and certainly Ruby as well, was that Pyrrha person... With a gentleness not normal for those strong hands, Cinder pulled Ruby up to sit, so she could lean in.

"If it means anything to you," she said slowly, having to pause from all the strain she'd been putting on her voice box lately.

"I would take it back if I could... My eye, the Maiden powers, my voice... I'd rather undo everything than deal with these..." Another pause, and she rubbed at her throat. With a hint of concern, Ruby watched her.

"Problems... They weren't... worth it," she finished, and the two of them stayed close for a moment, until Cinder leaned back and searched her gaze. The silver-eyed warrior nodded gently. So she was right, then... There was a genuine sense of remorse for the biggest problem she'd caused. Penny was one thing, but first to give Pyrrha such a scare like that, and then to end her life...

Cinder though, she really looked upset, seemingly out of the blue, when her mind rolled over that day again. She looked lost in her thoughts, and Ruby could tell, like she seemed to be so good at doing, what her counterpart was probably thinking about.

"You're remembering, aren't you?" she suddenly asked, and again those terribly soft fingers found her scar. Cinder's hand gripped Ruby's forearm, stopping her from going any further with her gesture, but it didn't stop a soft caress to the spell-burnt flesh underneath.

"You actually have lost someone. But I know you won't tell me who..." Ruby's observations really were on point tonight, Cinder noted, and she bubbled in her dark memories, her face twisting up in her beleaguered state. It wasn't something she remembered often, but of course she'd lost someone dear to her, it would be impossible to be so imposing without first gaining such a potent mental shield as the guard that game from the pain of having a life you loved stripped right before your eyes. There was no way Cinder was talking about this subject right now. Instead, she tried to not look uncomfortable, shifting slightly, and Ruby's soft eyes finally met hers when that gentle hand turned her gaze back to her face.

"We've all lost someone, Cinder. It could be to Grimm, or maybe another person... But we find ways to look passed it. I won't lie to you. Pyrrha meant a lot to all of us... Probably everything to Jaune, and nobody's happy that she's gone, not even you... But you can't start blaming yourself, no matter who points the finger at you. I won't lie to you. Jaune will probably try to murder you on first sight, and I'll do everything I can to stop that from happening, but ultimately, it's up to you to make it right again. You are going to be the one to figure this thing out. You'll be the one to... To make forgiveness pie out of... All the ingredients you have now." Her words sunk in for a moment, her touch somewhat comforting the contortion of her face, softening her gaze until she closed that singular eye, and Ruby smiled sadly. She leaned over, and pressed a gentle, rose-petal kiss to Cinder's forehead, causing a gentle gasp, and a slight red shade to appear on her cheek.

"Just do what you feel is right when the time comes. Make sure it's from the heart, and make sure it counts, because if redemption is your new purpose in life, then you've got to give it your all..." Her fingers idly played with the long fringe of hair Cinder preferred, enjoying how soft it actually was, silken despite her rough demeanor.

"And Cinder?" she continued, the woman opened her eye to take in the sight of Ruby's smile again. She waited expectantly.

"If you claim my eyes are yours, then... What do I get in return?" Her face twisted again into that naughty little expression she was capable of making every so often, and Cinder smirked darkly at her. This time, when her lips found that ear, she let them brush gently along the surface.

"If you figure out where it is, you can have my cold, dead heart," she whispered, almost as though she were begging for Ruby to do just that.

Ruby actually chuckled at that form of a joke, and gave Cinder a playful push. She knew now, based on how she'd acted before, that that had been a joke, a ruse... One not to be trusted. And Cinder, knowing she hadn't taken the bait this time, could only grin to herself.

"I'll take your hair, and we'll call it even. I always wished mine was more wavy like that." She played with it like a kitten might a mouse toy, until Cinder batted her hand away in annoyance.

"Ffhine," she croaked, and rolled her eye. It was no use arguing. But now it was getting late, and with their mission tomorrow, they'd need rest yet again. They awkwardly agreed to head to bed, already trying not to think about this strange feeling welling up inside of them both. It was better if they didn't think about it, both of them tried, but Cinder was deeply conflicted.

But this time, after they'd fallen asleep in their respective rooms, something happened late at night. A whimper filtered through Cinder's ears, and when she woke from it, it came again. Like a whining puppy... She listened at her door, and again she heard it, that noise of pathetic cowardice... What was it?

She went to Ruby's door, quiet as an insect, and peeked inside. Ruby was turning in her bed, tormented in her sleep by a nightmare. Cinder furrowed her brow, as she watched the girl toss about every few seconds, muttering and squeaking in fear to herself. It had to be the Grimm, she figured, and all the things that a Huntsman must see. The gruesome, sickening deaths at the hands of the monsters left their scars on every warrior... Even her. She'd long ago stopped fighting the nightmares, and every night, desensitized as she was, she refused to let them wake her.

But, just for Ruby, maybe as a return for that gift she'd been given, she slammed the door ever so slightly to provoke Ruby awake. She heard her stir, and crept off quickly into the night, back to her own bed. Hopefully, when Ruby fell asleep again, that would be the end of her night time terrors this evening.

 **[Author's Note: BOOM! Two'fer. I haven't had much to do today except sit around and think, or write, since my new laptop isn't quite full of cool games yet and I decided against bringing my mouse for some reason, soooo... Either way, I'm feeling better about these last two chapters, Anguish and this one, I feel like I'm more on point regarding actual storytelling which is a large part of why I wanted to crank this stuff out when I had a good, meaty chance to do so. The chapter after this one might take me awhile to figure out, so that's fine, but if all goes well it could arrive as early as tomorrow but that is by no means a promise, however since I work tomorrow also it's still fairly likely I'm going to be writing something, even if it's for a different fic.**

 **One of my main goals with Cinder is to play up her disability as much as possible, which tends to have a strange effect of causing lots of motion descriptions of her leaning around to get close and whisper, or reacting in certain ways during a conversation when she just can't defend herself. It's a challenge, lemme tell ya. Telling story with less dialogue always is, really, especially when trying to describe thoughts and feelings relating to words or as a reaction.**

 **The fic had a rough start I felt like but it should be where I wanted it to be now, essentially this whole project was a horrendously half-baked idea and I knew fully well that my beginning was going to be super rocky. But I decided to do it anyway, and now that I powered through it a bit I feel more confident in the coming material. Hope you enjoy!]**


	8. Chapter 8: Cinder's Ocean, parts 1 and 2

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 8: Cinder's Ocean, Part 1**

The state of Vale was still uncertain, a week in to the city being overrun and they'd cleared most of the periphery around the secured zones, but the outskirts were still dangerous to all but the Hunstmen or military personnel working in units, due to the destruction and the emotions it could stir in anybody who happened upon an apocalyptic scene. It was hard to find a patch of ground that, just a little further in, wasn't stained somewhere by the brown-copper of old, dried blood. But the weather played its hand, finally the hints they'd been getting had come to fruition, and Cinder watched from the bay window of the apartment as the storm front slowly crept across the sky. She'd been watching it roll in for long enough that Ruby, having woken from her slumber, found the brooding female standing there, and quietly as she'd come, she stayed and watched for a time...

"Everything all right?" she finally asked, and the silence broke like a brittle sheet of ice on a lake, Cinder jumped at the sudden noise, and turned.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she stated, and moved to her side to see what it was she'd been so interested in staring at; the ominous, dark clouds loomed high up above the waterfront, threatening the blue of the sky with it's harsh, grey depths. It was an ominous sign, considering their hunt today. She had a bad feeling, deep in her gut, but she didn't share it with Ruby... No, it burned in her and her alone, the ember in the ashes.

"We'd better get going before that thing hits," Ruby said optimistically, but she knew, realistically, that they would be caught in it one way or another. It would seem there was more to this storm than met the eye. She could almost feel it on the autumn breeze, even through the window, as it whispered passed, it spoke to her in ways nobody but another Maiden might understand. Cinder didn't answer, at first, but eventually, she turned and nodded, her eye appearing to share her steeled feeling, they had a job to do. On the way out, however, Cinder stopped Ruby before she breached the precipice of the front door, her eye flicking downward to the sniper-scythe curled neatly up on her back.

She looked back up, straight into her eyes.

"Cinder...?" she inquired tenderly, the look she gave was intense, and grave. Through her mind filtered that same bad, violent feeling brewing within, the pang sharper this time.

"B...Be..." her voice drifted, and her face strained as she forced the word from her mouth with all of her might.

"Caa...refu...ful."

Ruby's lovely eyes fluttered briefly, for she hadn't a clue why Cinder would tell her this now, but she nodded in agreement, for Cinder would never say such a thing unless it was important.

They left, the wind already whipping the occasional howl between buildings every few minutes... Cinder pulled the hood of her stolen cloak over her head, one of Ruby's spares, plain and black, like the rest of her lacy clothing.

Her singular eye glowed from underneath it as the power of this fall storm coursed through her. Already she could feel her strength returning, even her shoulder was healing at a rate that she could actually feel now, the unprecedented power renewed her vigor, but with it brought a terrible chill in her spine. The day's events could only get worse, she figured, so she ignored it, instead focusing on following Ruby as they ran through the streets. They weren't scheduled to meet up with Blake and Yang for a time, but Ruby thought it in their best interest to seek them out anyway, so they pulled through their quiet patrol zone and on to the harsher areas beyond where the duo were supposed to be readily battling the thicker pockets on the edge of their assigned section.

As they sprinted along an avenue, they heard a small explosion, and a shout from above, and they came to a stop, but Ruby's face brightened and she glanced a smile over Cinder's way.

"It's Nora!" she said excitedly, and they ran to catch up with the redhead whom had fallen straight from a building and landed dramatically before them.

"Are you guys ready to-?!"

Her gaze met Cinder's ice cold stare, and twisted into an expression that could only be described as a mixture of anxiety and surprise.

"R-R-Ruby," she stammered, and slowly pointed behind her at the ominous figure the ex-villain portrayed, and Ruby glanced that direction. To her, Cinder's presence was a given, so when it finally clicked she jumped slightly and began to wave her hands frantically.

"Nonono, Nora, it's not what you think," she argued, but they didn't have time for this, and Cinder gave Ruby a nudge, cocking her head in the direction of the approaching cloud bank.

"Cinder's right, we don't have time to explain, Nora, we need to get moving. Blake and Yang probably don't have visibility to this thing yet, and if I'm right, faunas don't bark at storms unless they've got dog traits!" She slashed her hand through the air for emphasis, and Nora, glancing between the two of them, nodded. She trusted Ruby with her life, really, but ever watchful, she wouldn't dare let Cinder out of her sight.

Together they moved deeper into the outskirts, their urgency alerting a nearby pack of Beowolves. Since they were on the move, everybody knew the drill. These little guys weren't much, so keep moving. Ruby took the lead, and with a jump shot from her rifle, took to the roof, Nora following with one powerful blast, spinning through the air and riding gracefully along the underside of her hammer.

Cinder took her time to gently float to the top, about all she could muster without wasting energy without reason. They didn't bother waiting up for her, so she trailed behind, a tactic sometimes valuable, especially with the approaching Grimm. The pack hit them side-long in their line up, but the crowd was disbersed by a well-placed grenade. Ruby fired some shots into them, using it to gain momentum, far ahead of them both now. The majority followed Nora, since she'd gotten their attention, a couple of the faster wolves making a break after Ruby.

Cinder got stuck, of course, with the slower, stronger ones. That was fine by her, because now was her chance...

While the other two Huntsmen were distracted by the other Grimm, she pulled back, two lumbering creatures behind her, and she drew them into a narrow alley. They squeezed together in their ravenous hunger, all tooth and claw as they attempted to snatch her from their ever-dwindling reach. She smirked, and gave a haughty little laugh, torching them was all too easy. The flames crackled across her fingers, dancing fire spitting forth through the alley, evaporating the Grimm with little more effort than it took to blow out a candle. Below her feet, the flames lept across the ground, and she rose from it, slowly ascending once more to the rooftops, turning slowly into the direction of the storm's fury.

She reached under the fabric of her clothing, and tore free the bandages that had so debilitated her these last few days, rising in the tide of the gales that assaulted her. They seemed to split around her, however, she barely even felt the ripping wind as it slowly increased around her...

Ruby cut straight through the fence in front of her, there was no time to worry about somebody's personal property when there were Grimm on the loose. The two that were after her were agile, they traversed newspaper stands and fire hydrants without even slowing down, weaved between the sign posts and mantled parked vehicles. She used her Semblance to keep just ahead of them, bursts of rose petals scattering on the edging winds every so often. Up ahead, she could hear the sounds of battle, the tell-tale rattle of a shotgun blast in that tight boxing pattern alerting her all too easily to her sister's location. Using her scythe like a hook, she drew the Grimm in closer to each other by slowing ever so slightly, then in a blinding feat of speed, slid her weapon around the thickness of a lamp post, swinging herself around and to the top. She fired six rounds into the tops of their heads, dispatching them with skill, and headed over the next roof. Blake and Yang were hard at work, back-to-back, surrounded in the thick of the horde they saught to destroy. They must've been at it for awhile, she guessed, Yang's red eyes hinting that she'd taken some damage, and was clearly dishing it back twofold.

She set up her gun, using the blades as a bi-pod, quickly zeroed her scope, adjusted for the wind and...

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The bullets slapped off the cobblestone as they pierced through a few of the targets, spewing black ichor across the street, and Blake turned her head.

"Ruby!" she shouted, and Yang stopped to take a glance, before turning back to the clearing she'd made before her and firing two long shots down the path. They detonated into the thick of a few more Grimm, and she twisted into a left hook at the one that assaulted her flank.

Blake darted about swiftly, leaving decoys every few feet that tricked lesser Grimm into chasing them instead of her, as she delivered sneak attacks to their backs. They had the horde down to a minimum fairly quickly between the three of them, their experience working together playing into the speed with which they took the Grimm down. Everyone knew their role, and soon enough they stood clear, but Ruby's urgency was evident when she hit the ground nearby.

"Yang, Blake! We've got a problem, there's this huge storm..." She was pointing off back toward the waterfront, the massive cliff that Vale sat atop formed a natural funnel for air moving up the mountain, and often drew in stray storms from the water.

"What? A storm?" Yang repeated, and the reaffirming nod she received made her draw a serious gaze toward her partner.

Nora arrived shortly after, and as she approached the trio, she looked around, confused.

"R...Ruby?" she wondered aloud, and it almost immediately clicked in Ruby's head before Nora finished her sentence, "Where's Cinder?"

Blake and Yang shared yet a second glance at one another, this one much more urgent than before. Bad news twice in a row? How could this day get any worse? As if by some grace of the fates, just as they collectively held that thought, a piercing shriek echoed in the distance, and Ruby's eyes went wide.

"Cinder!" she shouted, expecting that perhaps whatever had made that noise, that terrible cry, had found her. The others, though, were suspicious of Cinder, and they expected the opposite; they believed she had something to do with this.

Without hesitation each of them followed Ruby the moment she exploded forward in a forceful sprint. There would be no catching up to her at that pace, though, and Yang was quickly growing worried. She knew how Ruby got when she believed somebody was in trouble, so when she shot forward, Yang gritted her teeth.

"Slow down!" she immediately commanded, and Ruby, in her eagerness to reach her friend, could only ignore it. They managed to trail behind her enough to not let her out of sight, but only after so much practice in this exact scenario... Nora had the worst time of it, and instead, announced she was moving to find her team. Ruby, being so far ahead, didn't hear this, determined to find Cinder and stop whatever was happening, but as Nora left, she carried with her the knowledge of Cinder's reappearance, when everybody whom hadn't seen her believed she was likely dead. With the citizens ignorant of who she even was, she'd avoided any other Huntsmen save for Blake and Yang, and in their busy schedules, they hadn't crossed paths with anyone else in some time. The storm seemed to have scattered the scouts, but as Nora went, the realization that she'd known about Cinder hit her like an arrow in the knee.

"Yang!" she called over the howls of the wind that were increasing by the second.

"Nora knows about Cinder!" she called, and as they ran, Yang let out the most frustrated of shouts, her temper barely able to take much more of this situation...

Cinder alighted on the edge of the tower she'd hovered over to, and stepped forward across the wooden planks. Before her raged a black, writhing mass of smokey water vapor, flashes of electric discharge, and roiling rain. From her vantage point, she could see the effect it was having as it spread over the city, citizens had already been dragging their things inside, their children, the whipping flags, the flapping awnings. It coated everything in a sheet of dark, shining water; her eye scanned across the vastness of Vale, before turning back to the skies. As that single amber orb burned with light, she could feel it, a presense, mysterious and yet so familiar... But, there was also a second, and her eyebrow cocked, head tilting slightly toward it.

'Neopolitan,' she thought, as if she were saying it in greeting, she half expected that this miscreant would come out of hiding at a time like this. Her type thrived on chaos, she'd know, because so did she. She turned to face her as those clacking heels stepped along the stone edge of the tower's roof. Cinder's foot twisted on the wooden planking, her stance growing guarded. The tiny woman strutted along, twisting her parasol over her shoulder, giving her a smile that sickened Cinder to the core. She wasn't surprised to see that parasol didn't reverse in the wind, that thing was stronger than steel, and the blade it carried deadly to boot.

In her current state, because of her injuries, they just so happened to both be the silent type, and because of this, only the wind prevailed in their ears, the driving rain's hiss.

"Yu..." Cinder said carefully, and Neopolitan's face dropped in mock confusion as she touched her chest. Her perpetual smile needed a good slap to get it off her face, the brooding woman thought.

"Me?" the small, quiet one said, Cinder knew the silence was a mere ruse, and Neopolitan, of course, was aware she knew this fact.

"I should be wondering about you," her light, lilting, taunting voice floated over the breeze.

"My dear Cindy," she said, knowing she hated the pet name, delighting in the contortion of anger across Cinder's grim visage.

"Where ever have you been?" she asked rhetorically, an undertone of sarcasm seeping from her words. Cinder wasn't going to answer, she knew this particular person's abilities allowed them to be anywhere she wanted. The laugh that followed her sinister-sweet voice ground on her nerves.

"They're coming for you, you know," Neo stated, "and so... Is he." She pointed behind Cinder, just as that piercing shriek, the same one that Ruby had heard earlier, cascaded around them. She turned, and her eye went wide; in the center of the storm, a black, wafting figure rose, it's wings billowing dark clouds as it summoned the storm around itself. It was so huge, it appeared to float slowly through the air as it flapped it's massive wings, the bat-shaped Grimm and all it's terrible glory stirred the storm, causing static discharges across his wings where the lightning erupted.

Now Neo was walking circles around her, slowly pacing, those annoying boots thunking carefully along the wood in between the stone edges.

"Oh, like a falling cinder," she spoke, Cinder had known Neopolitan to have a knack for poetic language from time to time.

"Shining spark put out under an ocean of misery, like a dying candle submerged..." Cinder could only guess what she was here for, as the moment Salem had been defeated, most of the troops deserted, so to speak, Neo along with them. Her motives were her own, now, but it seemed like her nefarious purposes still boiled through the top of her fine-china face.

"Relax," she said softly, when Cinder's eye grew to a blaze.

"I'm not here for you. But like I said, they're coming..."

She tried for a kick to the head, twisting one foot right at the pink-and-brown haired girl, but that parasol, like a shield, deflected it as she laughed a wicked laugh, and cocked the umbrella, and she lept into a gust of wind, her parasol helping to carry her away. She achieved such distance with her jump, Cinder hadn't even seen where she'd landed, it would be no use pursuing her, considering her illusionist's trickery. No, she wouldn't see Neo again until Neopolitan wanted her to...

When the true horror of their situation hit her, Ruby came to a halt, partially sliding across the wet stone of a damp roof. When she finally slowed, Yang and Blake, in their fastest pursuit, came across her quickly.

"Just look at that thing," Ruby said as she beheld the massive bat-creature, the winds tearing at her cloak as it blew to the side. Both Yang and Blake's hair roiled aimlessly, and over the cracks of thunder, the beast made a lesser noise similar to the first, but shorter.

"Just what the hell are we going to do about that, exactly?" Yang asked, and Ruby stalled for a moment in hesitation.

"It's going to attack," Ruby started, finally, and Blake agreed.

"Then it's obvious. We draw it to the unpopulated zones, and we take it down there..." Her face was solemn, Yang detected the deep sadness in her voice. Ruby, leader-like in every way, had just set aside her search for Cinder for the greater good, and Yang's own face, showing her hurt as well, matched it for a moment. She'd seen what Ruby's little pet project meant to her, and even if she didn't agree, she hadn't wanted it to lead to a world of hurt for her sibling.

But, bouncing back as usual, Ruby's face finally shifted to one of determination, and they were off again. Above them the creature soared, and Ruby drew her plan. She summoned that feeling, her wishes to find Cinder, to get rid of the Grimm, to be free of her sadness, and poured all of her negative emotions into one big ball... Then let it all out. She had to constantly dry her eyes on her sleeve as she ran, sniffing through the streets, her teammates watching as she bawled her eyes out while they went.

It was a genius strategy, but the pain reflected in her comrades, which only seemed to help their case. There was a shift in the thing's flight path, and it was looking right their way.

Back on the tower, Cinder stood, and watched the massive thing flying, she aimed herself toward where it was heading, and started out. But the moment she hit the ground running, over the edge of the tower, and across the avenue, she skidded to a halt on the rainy street.

Standing before her was a man with a shield, and a girl with red hair, and neither of them looked very happy at all...

"Cinder!" he growled, to which she had no response.

"I told you!" Nora said, gesticulating wildly her direction, "she's here!" Cinder's face made a scowl as dark as it could get. Damn that Neopolitan. She was sure she'd been spied on, now, she was sure that damn girl had used her illusions to force Nora and Jaune to follow what they thought was her, until... Well, they'd been lead right here, hadn't they?

Cinder did the only thing she could, and held up her hand to tell them to stop.

Jaune took this as a sign she were about to use her fire abilities, and, raising his shield, he charged with a shout of blind rage. But Cinder was not a pushover any longer, the storm had all the power of her season within it, and it had regained her strength. Her aura burned as she prepared for the attack, and as soon as his footfalls allowed him to reach her, he came at her with that massive shield, slamming it right against the forearm she raised in defense. There was an opening, even Jaune spotted it, but Cinder didn't take it, instead she gripped either side of his shield, and spun him to the side. He slid a few feet, regaining his balance, before rushing for her again. Her kick gracefully sailed over her own head, and brought her heel down on the tilted shield, dragging Jaune with it to the floor. She didn't have time for this.

If she knew Ruby, that thing was headed right for her.

The only problem was, Nora blocked her exit. Running from Jaune would've been easy; he was no Pyrrha with that weapon combination, but the other girl was a problem... They were standing in the middle of a lightning storm, and already she must've been collecting, for she quite literally hummed with electrostatic discharge as she stood like a juggernaut with that hammer, guarding the street.

When Cinder made the sudden dash for it, she was on her faster than a freight train, and Cinder narrowly dodge the swing from her hammer as it flew passed and impacted a building, shattering the entire wall of a small building, parts of it breaking off and crumbling to the ground. Definitely not something Cinder wanted to get touched by, but in her current state, she couldn't convince them; she needed Ruby, and there was no way left but toward her. Killing another member of Team JNPR, she decided, would be an unacceptable occurrence.

She'd ruthlessly taken one life for her power, she didn't need to take another with it unless she deemed it worthwhile.

The rain stung her face as she ran from the angered pair, Jaune plowed over obstacles she put between them like a raging bull on steroids. She'd seen him fight before, but this was pure rage that fueled him... Nothing was going to stop him from hunting her now. She could hear him in his ire, shouting harsh words over the loss of his friend, that name rattled in her ears every time she heard it, she was so sick of hearing about it...

The Great Bat Grimm had started a lazy descent toward the ground when Team RWBY was unexpectedly reunited, a sparkling white ship sailed across the sky, trailing banners like the hair of the ones it belonged to. A Schnee family ship, it rolled underneath the massive creature, and Ruby pointed from their strategic location; a large, open plaza with a fountain in the middle, the only place big enough to house a beast without destroying the surrounding area as much as possible.

"It's Weiss!" Ruby cried, though normally they wouldn't have been sure, as it could've been Winter, however the trail of ice that assaulted the monster coming from the ship was sign enough that it was most likely their fourth member.

Blake and Yang, finally getting some good news in their day, both grinned, Yang looked pumped, Blake shifted her weight, hand on her hip.

"About time that ungrateful Dust puppy showed up," the black-haired faunas said, and they watched as the ship descended where they waited. They weren't hard to spot in the open with Ruby's bright red cloak, Weiss knew it anywhere, and as she stepped out of the ship, dressed in a regal, yet mobile attire, she wore a cocky grin as she greeted her team mates.

"Seems to me like you guys could use some help from the wonderful Schnee Dust Corporation," she said, and tossed a satchel their way, Ruby examined it, it was filled to the brim with ammunition. Good ol' Weiss, she thought, they could always count on her in a pinch.

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 8: Cinder's Ocean, part 2**

With thrashing attacks, Jaune sliced at her, she blocked or dodged each, her lithe body flexible beyond anything Jaune was used to. Cinder rolled back in a hand spring, and shot herself up onto a stack of crates. She'd tried coming through here to get him off of her tail, but like a bat out of hell, he was determined. It was Nora's hammer, however, that smashed the wooden crates, sending her flying backward and into the wall of the warehouse. She pulled herself up, her aura scratched somewhat as she dusted herself off, the powers of her stolen abilities made her quite a bit more resilient than that...

But they didn't let up, and came at her again, she rolled to the side, dodging a grenade, but was forced to spin around, her legs lashing out and tripping the knightly male who flew at her next as she spun to her feet. She stood in her defensive stance, but, cleared of attackers, moved again. She plowed through a door, shoulder-first, and back onto the streets. They weren't quite on her tail yet, since Nora had been firing from across the warehouse, and she made some headway down the street before they broke out after her. Nora, assisted by her explosive attacks, was gaining on her, and so she summoned her flames, forcing them from her feet in a long, sparking dash that trailed fire onto the ground as she slipped ahead of them. Finally with enough distance, she cut a corner, into an alley, then quickly rounded into a dead end, erupting as much fire as she could to scale the building and lose them.

After ditching those two lunatics, she felt better, but she watched as a silver ship drifted overhead. Great, this day just kept getting better and better. She pulled the cloak tight up around herself, thankful that Ruby had lent it to her now, and as her mind drifted back to that stupid, sweet girl, her dismay grew. That was no ordinary Grimm, she knew, she could feel it in her very blood, and they were all in grave danger.

The irony of the situation hit her, heavy and slow like a ball and chain, it dragged at her. What was she doing? She was avoiding death at the hands of a man hell-bent on revenge and his lackey, all to save more of those very friends he was seeking to avenge. She just hoped she'd lost them, and that she wouldn't have to put him down just to save Ruby... But, if it came to it, she would, because that was what she wanted, and what she wanted, Cinder got.

"Tch," she uttered, grimacing as she made her best pace.

Elsewhere, in the center of the square, Ruby had locked and loaded, Blake and Weiss as well, but Yang, standing around, watching them, had always used her explosive ammunition, a special type anyway, she wouldn't need the Dust, right? But Weiss, it would seem, had a present for her, and as she spun the revolving chamber of her sword, slicing the air down to her side, she tossed something her way out of a pouch on her hip.

When she caught it, Yang looked confused... It was a robotic finger.

Weiss held up her hand, and pointed at her own thumb. Yang, whom by now was so used to the tech she'd nearly forgotten, lifted her Atlas-made arm, and held up the piece to it.

It was a thumb, completely black, but with a white snowflake upon it, the symbol of Weiss' house. She swapped the thumbs with a few adjustments, made sure it fit right and plugged in correctly, pocketed the other one, and gave the thumbs up to Weiss. It would seem, from what she could tell, this might be useful, for she could now feel through the synthetic nerves a mechanism in the part that could be triggered for some effect. What it might do, she had no idea, but she was pretty sure she'd know when the time came. Weiss was great about shouting signals at people when they needed to do something, after all.

The loud, ear-piercing shriek reminded them of the problem at hand, and before they all had a chance to think any further on a course of action, it landed at the far side of the plaza, it's huge form completely crushing a fairly decent sized shop. It plodded it's feet heavily through the rubble, flapping it's massive, smokey wings. The resulting gust shot rain at them, and Weiss made a face as her precious hair was tussled. She flattened her ponytail with a hand again, the others ignoring the behavior in preference of confronting this beast.

"Do you have a plan yet?" Yang asked Ruby as she crouched low, ready to spring into action.

"Why don't we try weakening it first, then ask?" Ruby snapped in frustration, her emotional state not really allowing her to calmly say anything. Her tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes had Weiss confused about what exactly had been happening while she was gone, but she was certain that Ruby's current state had something to do with it.

The beast lumbered toward them, and when it stepped from the rubble, it leaned forward, it's gigantic hooked claws on the front of each wing latching onto the stone as it crawled. The huge, white mask covering it's bat-like face curled back at the sides and up sharply, almost like horns, and the steep, pointed nose almost like a pig's drew a fearsome visage when it reeled back and shrieked at them again. But this time, within it's mouth, something bright was appearing, and as it lowered itself to scream their direction, there was a loud boom of thunder as a bolt of lighting soared at them with all the speed in the Universe. It was so fast, the light, that when it exploded behind them, prompting a large plume of dust to rise through the rain, they'd barely even seen it's flash, the brightness putting a sudden hole in all of their visions with the brilliant white.

There was a pause, just a second, before Blake, Yang, and Ruby all opened fire, drilling whatever rounds they had straight into it's mask. The target was too big to miss, really, and it roared at them, they scattered as it reeled onto it's hind legs, bringing a smashing claw down right where they'd all been just a moment ago. The team worked as one, circling around their opponent and hitting it from all sides, Weiss' glyphs were a sight for sore eyes on the battlefield as she zipped around, or tugged one of them out of the way of an attack with expert grace. Her chambers spun with each attack she threw at it, testing it's elemental resistances with each eruption of Dust.

Ruby came at him firing, slipping under one wing and performing a solid upward slice, completing it in a back flip and returning to opening fire. The cut tore a hole in it's wing and it raged at them, thrashing wildly now, picking up speed as it lashed out in every direction with various limbs. Yang took the brunt of a clawed foot to the stomach, and the thing's huge size and strength sent her careening across the open plaza, skipping like a stone.

They all knew better than to assume Yang was down for the count, though, and the assault continued.

But nothing they seemed to throw at it was helping, Weiss' dust hadn't turned up much of a weakness for something that seemed resistant to ice, lightning, the rain was putting out any fire she tried, and bursts of wind were lost in the raging storm around them... Ruby's penetrating bullets didn't seem to be doing much either, though she did notice the monster flinch with each time she managed to peg it right in the nose, but that wasn't helping to stop it's wild flailing. A burst of lightning would occasionally fire from it's mouth, and anything it hit blew outward with a force equivalent to the gale around them, throwing about splintering stone like shrapnel from a bomb.

One of these explosions landed near enough to Weiss that she'd been flung into a glass window, shattering the shop front and rendering her status uncertain when she landed behind the product meant for window shoppers, but serving instead as cover to block their vision.

"Weiss!" Blake shouted after her, witnessing the impact, and she dashed to help her.

Yang, who's temper had already flared, was working the beast's legs with a massive string of blows, dishing it's own strength right back at it, which seemed very effective considering how powerful the blow had been. It rocked and shook, and as it did so, grew more agitated, trying to kick Yang away, to get her off. Ruby kept distracting him, however, with pelting fire to the nose, but this only worsened it's anger...

When Cinder arrived on the scene, she sensed that the battle wasn't progressing much, but she lowered her hood.

As Blake helped Weiss out of the mangled shop, the two of them paused, glancing at the ominous black figure perched on the edge of the plaza rooftops. The singular, piercing gold eye caught Weiss off guard, and her expression shifted to one of urgent terror.

"Cinder! Blake, we've got to stop her!" the white-haired girl shouted, but Blake stuck an arm out to hold her back.

"...Maybe not. Wait," she stated, wondering, watching what was happening. If Cinder was responsible for this creature's appearance, then surely, she'd show it, right here and now. But when she rose slowly into the air, burning fire raging in both her eye and her hands, she put her hands together, raised them over her head, and flung a giant fireball straight at the monster. When it rose it's wing to shield itself, the flame hit the torn membrane, and the fire burst around it and through the slit made by the cut left by Ruby Rose, the plume of hot material ejected through the other side and into it's face. It stumbled backward, bewildered, and as Yang watched him move, she delivered two great blows to it's knees, buckling them as it toppled backwards, buying them time while it thrashed about to right itself.

Weiss figured, she'd deal with Cinder just as soon as this thing was out of the way. Perhaps the bigger threat was prompting the usual truce against Grimm from the villain?

"Cinder!" Ruby cried, flooded with sudden determination at the reappearance of the one she'd assumed had been harmed. But, seeing that she was okay, and seemingly, better than ever, she renewed her vigor, and rotated her scythe, spinning it down onto her hip and nodding up after the Fall Maiden.

Cinder repeated the same attack, and crashed fire over the monster, who shrieked in rage as steam rose from the rain pattering over it's gigantic body.

As it slowly dragged itself to it's feet, one of it's wings with that hole burned right through, it really didn't seem to mind the pain much as it began to lumber about once more, crawling heavily toward Ruby, his closest target since Yang had retreated when he'd toppled. Cinder didn't very much like that idea, and she sprang into action. Ruby, having been fighting essentially with Cinder as her partner for the last few missions, showed enough synergy with her to know what to do, and she flanked right as Cinder charged in. Her fists erupted in two towering infernos as she slammed one upward along the bottom of it's chin, having to spring up into the air to do so, but the blow was effective and it shuddered it's frame. Her eye burned cold ire, so ready to take everything out on this beast, much like she'd wanted to do to Jaune not too long ago, but refrained. But now that her fury was unleashed, when it tried to swipe at her, she blocked the oversized limb with her tiny elbow, and the Grimm shrieked in her face. Her ear rang, but that didn't stop her from yanking it's arm down, pulling it a tiny bit forward...

When Ruby managed to slice the other wing from bottom to top again, she unleashed a ball of fire that had the same effect as before, frying the thing's wing.

It wouldn't be able to fly any time soon, and that was entirely what they wanted. Now, ground-bound, the beast wouldn't have a chance to retreat. Very nice thinking on Ruby's part, she thought, even if it had taken her own abilities to really make such a strike worthwhile. But, after three large fireballs, she was starting to feel drained, as even though she was powerful, her experience with these powers were limited, and she hadn't quite gained the stamina required for sustained use yet. So when she held the thing's arm down, it surprised her when it came up at her with it's head, slamming that ivory mask into her body, launching her upward, and backward. She hit the ground and rolled, and from where she lay, staring up at the sky, the rain falling on her face, she watched as the projectiles flew overhead from the return fire of the group. Except... These were grenades?

Nora and Jaune had arrived, evidently, and, having lost Cinder, had joined the fray with their friends, against the Grimm. They must not have seen her down here on the floor, Cinder figured, and as she slowly got to her feet, she examined her surroundings. She was near the edge of the plaza, having been knocked back fairly far... Ruby was busy distracting the beast with blinding speed, Nora seemed to be charged and ready, and dove in with her hammer. She tried to go for the chest, where a direct blow would serve best, but when she didn't think to jump through the hole of a wing, like Cinder might have, the one-eyed woman watched as she was flung back by a powerful slap to the waist. Jaune filled in, and charged, tussling with it's claws as he deflected with his shield and cut at the arms with his sword, a good way to work it's strength down, but against a beast like this, a foolish maneuver to place himself directly in front of that maw. He was the leader of his team, she was fairly certain, because nobody corrected his behavior, and it wasn't as if she could shout at him from back here.

She moved to help, more, but her side buckled under the blunt trauma she'd been unaware she'd taken, so absorbed in the fight as she'd been, and she fell to a knee for now, instead. This was common practice in a group fight, those wounded took a knee for a bit while the others carried on, and rejoined just as soon as they could, or if someone else went down...

When her little silver-eyed warrior weaved through it's legs, cleverly following up on Yang's attacks, she smiled, but it turned to a grimace as pain shot through her ribs again. Maybe she'd overdone it? It had felt so good to get her abilities up and running once more that perhaps she should've taken it slower.

Nora came back to circle the creature, lobbing grenades into the air to bomb it's face, the collective assault between the scythe and the explosions twisted him round and away from Jaune. The warrior, without a Semblance to speak of from what she could tell, kept trying to get in front of it, distract it. Foolish... Blake and Weiss finally managed to rejoin the fray, as well, but they were reduced to dealing with the other Grimm whom had finally arrived, they'd been catching them for a fair bit as they flooded the plaza from the side streets toward the eastern outskirts.

That meant that, when that dangerous light started to fill it's mouth again, it had to be her.

Never today, did she assume she'd be doing something like this, but there was no more time save for the tell of it's mouth building in energy, she knew, to even think about hesitating. She bolted into action, Ruby was dealing with the legs, Yang and Nora hammering it with explosive force in the face, Jaune fighting back it's arms... They were covered, but if the mouth was still a weapon, that meant it fell to her.

When the bolt of lightning sprung from it's jaw, aimed right at the armored boy standing just before it, the crack of thunder sounded, and Yang and Nora stopped firing.

"Jaune!" Nora cried.

"Cinder!" Ruby shouted simultaneously, as both of them were enveloped by the light, and the resulting plume of dust that shot all around them. When it settled, the monster shifted, snorting at them, and the two lay on the floor, but only one was moving.

Jaune sat up, rubbing his head. What had just happened? He looked over, a woman lay beside him, the hood of her cloak partially knocked back... It was Cinder.

Her shoulder had been hit directly by the blast, shielding him from most of it's effects, but the bolt had coursed through her plenty of electricity, and she lay unconscious, her skin split, bleeding, and scorched from the lightning.

Ruby let out a roar of rage, and her efforts redoubled, she was like a storm of her own as she roiled about the monster's legs, and back, flying over him, cleaving, hacking, stabbing. Distracted now by this, the monster attempted to bat her away, rearing up onto it's two legs. Jaune, with no time to lose, left Cinder there in the dust, and rushed back to the fight. Yang and Nora resumed their bombardment, but they'd all seen it; Cinder had taken one for Jaune.

Weiss, with a momentary pause in the fighting at the outskirts of the plaza while Blake mopped up a few more, turned over her shoulder to shout at Yang.

"Yang, now! Use the second switch! Go for it's wings!" she advised, and the blonde nodded, feeling the internal workings of her mechanical arm for the second switch inside the thumb. The first one was near the tip, the second, the base, and she flipped it with a command from her nervous system, the gears inside, parts attached to the thumb began whirring. The black thing lit up with the red glow of dust, matching her eyes as it filled her arm, she felt it infusing the strength right into it. So she rushed forward, and Ruby called to her.

"Hold it down! Nora, go for the nose!" Ruby's orders came, and she moved through it's legs in a flurry of petals as she slid underneath it's wing, flipping her scythe backwards and hooking it around the hole they'd made, driving the blade into the ground, pinning one wing in place.

Yang, with the incredible strength the arm now afforded her, gripped the claw of the other wing in both hands and yanked it off it's forearm, wrestling it's other limb to the ground, and holding it there. It thrashed about, it's head flailing wildly, but Nora jumped on anyway, clinging to it's strange, dark fur with one hand like some sort of stuntman.

"Woahhh... Boop!"

When she finally felt she had a moment, she brought up her hammer, releasing her grip to do so, and brought it down with a crash of the gods, though it's wild thrashing had it's effect, and she slipped to the side slightly in the process, the resulting blow off-centered. It caused it's head to turn, and as it shrieked, it fired another blast of lightning at it's own arm, where Ruby had gouged the stone with her scythe.

With a violent boom, it relieved itself of it's own claw, and at the same time, launching the girl across the ground, away from her scythe, and she slid, coming to a stop a few feet from where Cinder also lay, blood oozing down her face.

"Ruby!" a collective shout went up, even as the monster, with it's face now smashed in, convulsed in it's dying agony where Yang held it in place until it stopped moving, and began dissolving into a massive puddle of liquid, black ichor. The moment it was down for good, she rushed to Ruby's side, and curled the girl into her arms. She looked up at everyone, then over to the mangled sniper-scythe back the other direction, blown apart by the resulting blast. Ruby's face was coating slowly in a red to match her cloak, though where it dripped onto the collar of her hood, it darkened it even still. Shards of stone plastered the flesh of the right side of her face, her clothing was singed, especially the lacy bits, and she was out cold.

Yangs eyes slowly drifted to Cinder, who lay near them, blood seeping from the gaping hole in her shoulder for the second time. If she ever woke up, Yang knew, she wouldn't be happy about being wounded twice in the same place. She tried to be optimistic for her sister, tried not to think that maybe they'd lose both of them as the clean up crew finally arrived to cart the wounded to the hospital. Jaune suffered a broken rib from the impact the explosion had, evidently it had flung Cinder into him hard enough to achieve such a thing due to the strength of her aura. Weiss had some cuts and bruises from flying through glass, Yang's fist and the stump of her arm ached from all of the attacks she'd made, and Nora suffered in the waiting room, crying with Ren over Jaune and Ruby. Nobody had addressed the issue of Cinder's existence, yet... Perhaps some were reluctant to because of her actions, but for Blake, it was all she could think about.

Cinder's shoulder was a mess. The lightning had split the skin along several crack-like lines, which oozed blood from their deepest parts, but were cauterized along the edges, the doctors told Blake and Yang, the only two whom had checked up on Cinder, that she'd suffered massive nerve damage all along her arms and neck, as well as her shoulder. She'd be unlikely to be able to feel her shoulder again, and it was possible the nerve damage might have impaired the mobility to her hand. They also mentioned possibility of vocal damage, but Yang and Blake had assumed that that wouldn't be a problem, and disregarded it as unimportant. She'd also suffered a concussion, and a broken collarbone from the blast, but even after all of that, they said she'd make a fairly decent recovery. They were uncertain why, but her rate of healing seemed to be something of a miracle for that.

But as for Ruby...

When they approached her bed, sitting beside Cinder's, the doctor began to go over her chart as they looked at her. Her right arm was in a sling, the right side of her face bandaged, yet still she looked so peaceful, dozing in that hospital gown... Seafoam green wasn't really her color, Yang had to joke to herself to keep from choking up at the sight of her little sister all torn up.

"Had to happen some day, Yang," Blake tried to comfort her, and she bit her knuckle, and nodded, keeping the tears down.

"Well, says here the diagnosis isn't too bad... Seems this Cinder of yours had it a little worse, although there's a lot more breaks here. Broken scapula, broken humerus, broken radius, broken ulna... Seems she's broken every bone in her arm, though the explosion was brutal enough that they were clean breaks, so they should heal. It might impair the movement of her arm, if she twists it all the way around, but... Should be fine. Same with the shoulder bone, too. Now, her face... She had some pretty bad shrapnel wounds, they really dug in deep there. She'll have some scars, for sure, let's see... One by the corner of her mouth, one on her cheek, just under the eye, back more toward the ear, and along the forehead, under the hair line..." Yang clenched her teeth as she listened to all of this. Her baby sister, now with permanent scars... Upgraded model, right...? Her bittersweet thoughts bit at her temper, Blake placed a hand on her shoulder where she leaned on the bed, fists clenching the bedspread. The doctor was just doing his job, so he payed their emotions no mind.

"Listen, if there are any complications with Cinder's shoulder, we'd like to recommend the mechanical option... Same with that eye of hers. When she wakes up, which both of them should fairly soon, you might want to ask her if she'd like to have a shoulder-motor installed, and a bionic eye. Welp, I'll leave you to it," he said, far too cheery for the situation, for them, and they bid him good riddance.

Ruby woke up first. As she did, of course, the first thing she noticed was all the pain in her right side, the second, was the surroundings. She was in the hospital... And she remembered...

She gasped. Cinder! She looked around, Yang and Blake were asleep on the chairs, and to her side, strewn across the bed like the Maiden she was, a Cinder snoozed peacefully, as if nothing had happened... But the telltale bandages over her chest told otherwise. Her eyes watered, though this made her realize that one of them was covered, and she blinked, making sure it still truly functioned. It did, thankfully. The bandages absorbed the tears on that side, leaving a sticky, uncomfortable feeling underneath. She wanted to pull them off, but when she did, she found that they were sticking to fresh wounds, and so she left them on. She couldn't move her right arm, and realized that she wouldn't have wanted to, considering it was in a full cast, a brace on her shoulder, which also ached like no other.

Her heart raced with everything, and the change in the monitor alerted Yang, who slept rather lightly when in chairs, and she stirred, looking over.

"Ruby...? You're awake! Blake, wake up!" She prodded her partner until the faunas twitched her ears in annoyance, but she woke slowly, realizing what was going on.

"Where's Weiss?" she asked, and Yang gave her a cheeky grin.

"Paying your medical bills," she quipped, and Ruby gave a sad smile. Good ol' Weiss...

But Ruby, who felt fine enough, turned her head slowly toward Cinder, holding her hand in her lap, her cast arm raised up in the sling as she sat up straight and made such a sad face that Yang could only match it at first.

"How is she?" Ruby wondered, blinking big, silver eyes at her sister, they seemed ready to cry at any news, no matter how bad it really was.

"Not that great," Yang said, though in a tone that hinted there was more to it, so she continued, "but they said she'll make a decent recovery... They, well... Suggested mechanical replacements in case of complications, but thought they should also offer for her eye..."

Ruby had to smile slightly, though it was a sad one as well, when she pictured Cinder's reaction at being asked something like that... She couldn't even handle Penny, what would she do if she had her own robotic parts? A stirring, a twitch in Cinder's face had her heart skipping a beat. The woman stirred slightly, and when that seductive, amber eye slowly opened, and looked over her way, the tears finally did come. They'd made it out okay.

Cinder returned the smile, and weakly, mouthed the words to her.

"It'll all be okay," she said silently, and stretched her hand out. Ruby reached out, crossing her chest to do so, and took it, and for a moment they stared at one another, before releasing each other and both flopping back to their beds with heaved sighs. What a day, that's what Cinder had been telling her, and all she'd had to do was agree.

She looked over at her team mates.

"It'll all be okay," she said endearingly, and they gave her their smiles.

 **[Author's Note: DUN DUN...! Oh man, that was such a good chapter, I didn't think it would turn out so great, but I believe it did indeed! At least I'm happy about it and that's all that matters! *STARE* JK I do this for you guys to read it, stories can be in my head all they want but they need to be told!**

 **So yeah, here's where things get interesting for Good Cinder (who only now has officially proven she's trying), and Ruby gets her battle scars. Oh, the humanity! What will happen next, I wonder...? Two star-crossed lovers, wounded in such a similar fashion! Augh! *dramatic pose***

 **But no really, I can't wait. In fact, since I'm the author, I might not EVEN wait (but I probably will) WHO KNOWS**

 **Also, looking back at this fic, I have decided to nickname it Shouting Names: The Fanfiction because seriously I don't think I've ever written anything that required so many people shouting names at each other.**

 **CINDER! BLAKE! YANG! RUBY! JAUNE! NOOOOOORAAAAA!]**


	9. Chapter 9: All the Right Notes

**[ATTENTION READERS! Hey guys, today, I prepared something fun for you! A scavenger hunt! Hidden, laced, or otherwise placed inside of this chapter are a whole bunch of references to SONG LYRICS! There's two dozen of them! If you can find even half of them, I'll be surprised (mostly cuz you know every song that I put in here). Some lyrics were changed slightly more to match with the text, others you might find standing out as they seem to make the wording strange. I did this to challenge myself further as a writer, and it turned out pretty fun to come up with all the scenarios required to reference 25 songs or something like that in this passage. If you find any of the harder to find ones, lemme know! (a few are pretty obvious imo) also one song I accidentally referenced twice.**

 **Happy hunting!]**

 **[WARNING: This chapter is fairly SEXY so go home children and eat your peas]**

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 9: All the Right Notes**

Unsurprisingly, they hadn't been cleared to leave the hospital right away. After they'd woken up and had a chance to speak to Yang and Blake, the pair had been ushered out and the nurses took their place, Ruby and Cinder endured the regular examinations, changes in bandages, and when they tested Cinder's arm, they found that she was barely able to move her fingers; the doctors, however, believe this would heal with time, due to her remarkable regeneration speed, which seemed to be far in advance of what most people were capable of. Even still, they warned, with the extensive damage suffered by the blast, her shoulder would take time to heal. Cinder couldn't feel the wound, her entire shoulder was numb from the nerve damage, and she found that speaking was completely impossible, much to Ruby's chagrin.

'We've been here forever... The spiral never ends,' Cinder thought to herself in annoyance at being held this long, as she rested back against the upright bed as they poked and prodded at her arm, checking for various reactions. Ruby had already finished having her own arm looked at, the cast seemed to be doing it's job, so she sat across from Cinder, worriedly watching, as she'd been told not to interfere or talk too much, instead mostly only allowed to answer questions for Cinder, since she seemed more capable in figuring out what Cinder's answers were to the questions they asked. When they were finally done with everything, Ruby was cleared to leave, while Cinder...

"They're not letting you go, are they?" Ruby asked once Cinder walked back into the room after being given the full news alone by a nurse, Ruby could tell just by the sour expression on her face that she was right. Her heart sunk.

"Then I'll visit you every day until you're out of here," Ruby offered as Cinder made her way back to her bed, carefully laying down, trying not to disturb her wound. She didn't feel the wound itself, but the flesh all around it was tender, and some parts still felt the pain. When she flopped back against the bed, Ruby got up from hers and pulled a chair up to Cinder's side, leaning against the fabric, and she reached for that hand, the one stunned by the shock of her actions. Her fingers felt cool, and silky, and Cinder closed her eye and simply enjoyed the feeling as Ruby massaged her fingers.

"I'm sure it'll all heal," she said, her own, opposite eye meeting Cinder's, the other one still covered. They had a lot to talk about, but, unwilling to jump right in to that, Ruby was attempting to be optimistic again. Cinder, of course, was not in the slightest optimistic about anything, and, frankly, found it ridiculous that she'd managed to both heal and destroy her shoulder again in one day.

"Look on the bright side," she said when she saw the slight shift in Cinder's frown that denoted she was growing annoyed at their situation, "At least this time, it wasn't me who blew you up." Cinder's eye opened, and she looked quizzically at the girl, perhaps she had a point there, though it was meant to lighten the mood the comment instead made her realize how much she'd changed over the course of just under a month. She thought about what it had been like at first, that feeling... No home, no job, no peace, no rest. But now, she had all of these things, or at least, she would now that she'd been wounded in the line of duty, protecting this place she'd first sought to destroy.

She'd left the door to their room open when she'd returned, and a group of young girls passed by, all giggles and gossip, in their red school uniforms. Some girl's academy outing, she'd heard they occasionally came by the place to help feed the sick or sing songs to the terminally ill.

Out in the waiting room, now that she'd heard the news, Yang had been returning to the room when she'd run into the children, blocking her path. Not letting the obstacle stop her, she squeezed through the crowded halls, dodging girls like ping-pong balls as she swam through the sea of uniformed skirts to finally drag herself in, looking somewhat disheveled. Today just had to be field trip day...

"Where's Blake?" came Ruby's first question, "and Weiss?" Yang waved her hand dismissively.

"They took off to cover the work you two slackers are missing out on," she said, waving the stump of her arm at Ruby and placing her hand on her hip. She'd always took off her Atlas tech when she'd punched something one too many times, it made it heal much quicker, understandably. There's no replacement for her own skin and bones, she thought.

Cinder stood up and went to the window while Ruby conversed, seeing as she couldn't say a thing, she felt no need to bother remaining involved when Ruby could just as easily handle it.

Across the street, with shelter lines stretching around the corner, there had been a temporary housing facility set up for those whom had needed relocation from the infested areas, but the line, so long and winding, she was sure wouldn't clear out by the end of the day. The poor civilians would be forced to find their way to another of the shelters, the whole thing was so very tragic, and yet, she didn't care one bit for their plight. At least they had somebody helping them. Their feeble minds couldn't easily fend for themselves, like she'd been forced to do so long ago...

After explaining the news to Yang, whom left to go catch up to Blake and Weiss, Ruby stayed with her as long as she could, until visiting hours were over and a nurse caught her, telling her she was technically cleared and therefore considered a visitor. They kicked her out, but not after she'd managed to cling to Cinder in a hug, whispering to her a sincere goodbye, with a promise to return the next day to get her. Ever optimistic, Cinder thought, she was sure Ruby held high hopes that her release would be so swift.

Of course, Cinder didn't realize quite how serious Ruby had been, and so, confined to her room the next day, bored and annoyed by the constant pestering of nurses, she was surprised when Ruby showed up, wheeling a chair for her with her one hand, a feat she'd likely be unable to pull off once Cinder's weight was in it.

"They said they'd let me wheel you out," she stated, and behind her, a man appeared in the doorway, the stubble on his chin and those piercing, scarlet eyes telling her exactly who this was. She'd brought her Uncle here, which explained exactly why she'd been cleared to leave. The high ranking Huntsman had a whole lot of pull, considering he'd been the one to set her up in this hospital the first time, and he took a swig from his flask as he entered the room.

"Well well well," Qrow muttered as he stepped around his niece.

"You look like shit," he said, obviously somewhat tipsy already, his rude demeanor usually always came out when he was like this, from what she'd experienced of him in the past. It was hard to be a bad guy and not have one or two run-ins with this clown, she didn't like him, but of course she'd have to tolerate his presence if she both wanted to leave, and wanted to keep Ruby happy. Of course, she did, and what she wanted, she got, after all...

"What do you think, Ruby? Another hospital visit... She comes and goes like no one can... Did Ruby give you that one too?" he questioned, pointing to her shoulder's bandages. She didn't know whether to be insulted or agree with the fact she seemed to end up here far more frequently than she should be, but Ruby grew flustered.

"Uncle Qrow, be nice! Cinder's here because she saved Jaune, not because I shot her..." Hearing this, Qrow perked up slightly, wobbling ever so slowly in a tight circle once, before he blinked at her.

"Ya don't say," he mumbled, and Ruby pushed the chair over to her.

"I'm sure you guessed why he's here, anyway... We came to get you out of here. I know your wound is bad, but they stabilized you, and I just want you home... It was lonely and, oddly enough, quiet without you there. Who would've known that even whispers are loud over dead silence?" Cinder appreciated the gesture, and slid into the chair, when she did, Ruby, still standing behind it, leaned over her and wrapped her arms lovingly about her shoulders. For a moment, Cinder didn't know how to react to this, but eventually, she softened, and leaned her head against Ruby's neck.

Qrow watched with a raised eyebrow, and took a much heavier swig of alcohol at this. What the hell had he done?

Ruby released the other female, and turned to her Uncle.

"Well?" she questioned, and he frowned at her, shrugging. He didn't know what she wanted.

"Wheel her out of here!" she ordered, and Qrow had to look her over once before he realized it was because of her arm, covered as it was by the full white cast, the metal brace it was attached to glinting from just under her hood. He swooned for a moment, but then caved, and started to push the thing out of the room, managing to spark anger in Cinder when he crashed her toe heavily into the door frame on the way out.

Ruby walked alongside Cinder, her curious, silver eye drifting about the place, taking everything in. Hospitals held a lot of sights, for one like her, Cinder noted, though she personally cared nothing for this place one bit, trying instead to keep her eye toward the exit. Qrow drove her chair similar to the flight of a moth's wings; spastic and violently. She found herself thoroughly annoyed by the time she got to the exit, having been bumped a few times into things, and it was standard procedure that she be released in a wheelchair instead of allowed to walk herself out, else she would have much preferred that. When they finally hit the entrance, though, she immediately stood, and Qrow swiftly dragged the chair around himself and kicked it forcefully back inside.

That had probably been one of the funniest things Cinder had ever seen, to her, as it rolled swiftly straight into one of the assistants who'd been attending her the day before, one of the more obnoxious of the few, and she fell over it, cursing as it rolled underneath her when she tried to brace her fall on it, causing her to slip hard to the floor. She'd be fine, she was in a hospital, so Cinder took it upon her self to try not to laugh, her face twisting up with her efforts. Ruby gave her a playful punch in the arm, knowing exactly why she was making that face, and they sauntered after the stumbling Qrow whom had already taken the lead.

Elsewhere, Yang, Weiss and Blake were on patrols again, the Grimm problem hadn't been better in weeks, now that the Storm Bat as they'd nicknamed it was gone. Dispatching such a large Grimm had cleared the skies and lifted everyone's spirits, a godsend considering what they'd been dealing with lately. They were trying to explain it to Weiss that getting rid of Cinder would be nearly impossible without crushing Ruby, as the attachment she'd come to have to the stray dog that was the ex-villain was far stronger than any of them could explain.

"You don't get it, Weiss," Yang said, "Ruby's our totem, she's the one that keeps the dream alive. She really believes that one day, there will be no more Grimm, and her unbreakable spirit is what binds everyone together. She's never given up once, and she always puts others over herself. So why not, for once, just let her have this? She swears up and down that Cinder would never hurt her, and considering that creep's wounds? I don't think she could." Weiss frowned at her, and Blake gave a knowing look over to her.

"I didn't like it at first either," Blake admitted, "none of us did. But after what happened recently, I don't think we really should be so quick to judge anymore. Maybe Ruby was right, maybe she really is like me, she left that life behind for good. It's starting to actually seem that way, at least."

Their route was quiet, and the sun was out for the first time in awhile, Yang stretched, she was feeling pretty good compared to every other day lately.

"Why does it matter so much to you, Weiss? Are you scared of her?" Yang asked, and the Schnee heiress frowned over her shoulder at the blonde girl.

"I'm not the damsel in distress, Yang, I can handle myself. She scares me no more than a Beowolf with her lack of hand-eye coordination and frivolous fire powers. I'm a Schnee, and after working with Winter, my summoning would easily put down some silly reformed rebel." Yang had to roll her eyes at this, her ego was showing... Again.

"Just give it a rest Weiss, and take it up with our glorious leader," Blake joked, the description of Ruby doused in sarcasm.

"Besides, Cinder's had enough issues lately, apparently Jaune chased her across half of Vale before she helped us with the Storm Bat, Nora too. You're not the only one who's got a problem with her." Weiss figured she'd have to do exactly as advised, and talk to Ruby about it. Together they continued on their way, but elsewhere, Qrow lingered on a street corner, halting the procession formed by Cinder and Ruby behind him.

"Y'see, that right there, that's the problem with society," he said, pointing up at a billboard now advertising paid shelter for refugees from the outer edges of Vale, like it were some sort of celebrity vacation spot, it stated that the police would keep them safe and free of the Grimm, even though it was mostly the Huntsmen doing the dirty work.

"Propaganda leaves us blinded," he slurred back at them, and Cinder shrugged, she wasn't one to fall for those sorts of lies, there wasn't a place in the world that was truly safe. He remembered when this sort of scenario had happened before, somewhere else... The riots started slowly, with the homeless and the lowly. Those who didn't make it into the shelters when the city was overrun... Well, they weren't happy folk. He kept walking, shoving his hands in his pockets as he wobbled along.

When they finally made it home, it had taken a fair bit of convincing to get Qrow to leave them alone, he seemed interested in sticking around to taunt Cinder about her looks. Ruby was well used to dealing with the stubborn drunk, and eventually, she'd simply shoved him out of the apartment and locked the door behind him while he rambled on.

"Hey! Are we lobbin' hand grenades, kiddo? No, I don't think we are!" he shouted at her as she pushed him out, he lingered outside for a time, and eventually it went quiet when he'd finally left.

Ruby immediately ditched her cloak the moment he went away, the first time Cinder had really seen her without it, she tossed it onto the couch, rubbing her neck with her good hand, sighing heavily. She seemed fairly stressed out, and Cinder supposed that was understandable, considering their condition, but when she started to unlace her corset, Cinder blushed. She watched the display as Ruby partially undressed, removing her corset, boots, and stockings, leaving those pale legs bare as they spread gently from under her skirt. There was a flash of ruby red and diamond white as she flopped onto the couch next to where Cinder was sitting, and stretched out, unabashedly placing her head into Cinder's lap. Cinder lowered a hand to her face and placed it over those bandages on her eye, fingertips toying with the red ends of her hair. She lamented to see her wounded in such a way, now both of their faces were scarred permanently.

"So this must be what it's like, huh? Having the one eye? I don't like it one bit," Ruby said, scrunching up her face in her lack of comfort. A silence drifted over them now, urging them to listen to the train in the distance as they heard it's whistle, Cinder idly wondered where it was headed. Probably to take refugees to their families someplace else...

Ruby was staring up at her with a tiny smile, and it drew her attention away from the window. Her eyebrow cocked, what was it she could want?

"You're warm," she said, surprising the mute, who's eye trailed slowly down her form. She looked so delicate without her boots on, and her adorable toes curled and uncurled as she stretched them free of their aches. Her pale, creamy thighs were... Ruby nuzzled up against her leg, all grins.

"Flesh and blood... Is it so elemental?" the girl asked, touching her soft fingers to Cinder's thigh. They were cold, but she didn't mind, and Ruby warmed herself up on her bare flesh.

Like a bug to a flame, she's drawn, Cinder thought, chuckling silently though her damaged vocal cords refused to even give that a sound.

"I know it was just a day, but I'm glad you're home," she said in that sing-song voice Cinder so very much adored, like music to her ears and steel in her heart. The very same heart, she had been so sure, was cold and dead. Boy how Ruby loved to prove her wrong, she wound her fingers into those dark locks, brushing them out of her face. Now it was her turn to stare, and after a time, Ruby grew curious.

"What?" she wondered aloud, and Cinder blinked when she realized she'd been caught admiring her simple beauty, bandages and cast or no, she had to admit that she found everything about her attractive. When had that changed? She'd gone from willing to toy with her emotions, to silent adulation, and she would've guessed it was over night, but when she really thought about it...

The two of them had been fighting side by side, dealing with their problems, the drama of Ruby's close friends, and of course, she'd had that run in with Neopolitan... Which, she realized, she'd never told Ruby about. But she still didn't know what to make of it. Her eye didn't bother leaving Ruby's gaze, instead its sharp ability to take in detail traced constellations in her eye, the flecks danced like silver stars in the night. She wouldn't deny herself her wants just for the sake of denying Ruby a question. She shifted in her lap, careful of her cast, as immobile as it really was with the shoulder brace in place. The thin band of metal touched Cinder's leg, and the coolness quickly warmed against the norm of her body's temperature, which was slightly higher due to her Semblance by nature.

When her eye fluttered closed, and she sighed happily, Cinder graced herself with a gentle smile. Her beauty knew no rivalry, like snow blown through flowers, she drank it in with her very soul, it was the freshest cup of water she'd ever had. Ruby wiggled her rump a bit to position herself better, then opened her eye again.

"You were alone when we met," she said, catching Cinder off guard. She watched her warily when she stated that truth, in a sense, despite being surrounded by others like her, she had been alone. None of those people had been her friends, but now, she had one, and she was right here.

"No more forlorn than one could get," Ruby purred, and when she moved next, it was to sit up, shifting to Cinder's left side, which made it, due to her eye being out, impossible to see her briefly, but when that soft girl leaned against her good shoulder, she wrapped her arm about her waist and tugged her in selfishly, placing her cheek in her hair, breathing her flowery scent.

"How could we know we had found treasure," she continued poetically, Cinder swore she'd heard the words somewhere before...

"How sinister and how... correct." When she said the word 'sinister,' Ruby prodded her ribs with a finger, making her squirm. The joke wasn't really appreciated, but without position to argue, she took it in stride. Instead she shifted, and, taking a bit of a chance with the moment, she pressed her lips up to Ruby's ear, and delighted in the tiny, almost unnoticeable shiver it elicited from the Huntress.

She wanted to try whispering, and Ruby waited intently.

"There's..." she started, her voice so tiny Ruby had to hold her breath to hear it sometimes. It seems that blast had truly done further harm to her voice. It was barely even there, anymore...

"Nothing wrong wanting to be loved," she replied, "is there... something wrong with me?" Ruby cocked her head back and read Cinder's face when she said that, one hand moving in her concern to cup her cheek gently. She shook her head.

"No," Ruby said, sincerely, despite the sad eye that pleaded with her for assurance. Cinder's doubt in herself had finally reared it's ugly head, she guessed, and Ruby steadied herself with her good arm by placing it to the side of Cinder's head as she hovered before her.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you... Just happy accidents," she assured, and what little of her fingertips that protruded from her cast found Cinder's right hand, in it's sling, brushing up against hers. When Cinder's other arm rose to Ruby's hip, she let her tug her firmly closer, and she adjusted so she was sitting on Cinder's lap, giving enough room for their wounded arms between them. Ruby wanted to really get a chance to talk to Cinder, so she slid in, and their lips each hovered near one another's ears. She decided she'd whisper to, and they could both be quiet together.

"You're annoying," Cinder mumbled to her, and she made a face, but Cinder continued, "you're stubborn, and you're emotional. But..." She paused right there, catching herself so it didn't strain her too badly. Ruby's hand slowly migrated to her neck, and she rubbed her throat ever so gently when she spoke, which, Cinder found both endearing and helpful. Those fingers were like magic...

"But you're headstrong, born to lead... beautiful as a summer's day, strong like a summer breeze, warm like the summer sky..." The compliments sunk into Ruby's mind, and she blossomed into a smile, returning Cinder's earlier tease by leaning in, her lips hovering just barely against the skin of her neck, beneath her ear. She took a breath, for a moment, and Cinder shivered as the gentle feeling tingled her semi-responsive nerves in a strange way. The lips trailed up to her ear, like a butterfly's wing beats they lingered.

"And you're manipulative, anger too easily, mysterious... A real jerk, sometimes," she countered, her hand curled about the back of Cinder's neck as she tilted her head so her nose brushed the tip of Cinder's ear.

"But you're intelligent, powerful, and... Sexy..." The last word slipped carefully from her, she'd toned it to sound just right, she said it like she meant it; Cinder was a woman that could make any man fall to his knees with her looks alone, and when she'd had a voice, and the rest of her face, she remembered doing just that quite a few times to get what she wanted. Always just out of reach, no man could ever court her, and here she was, beginning to fall for this determined, crazy girl...

"Everyone's at it alone sometimes," Ruby went on to whisper to her, "but it's better to have a companion, right?" She received no argument, and, much to Cinder's astonishment, she pressed a kiss to her ear, her arm slipping further around Cinder's neck, pulling her closer with the gesture. The bulges of either of their chests brushed over their arms with the closeness, Ruby's light shirt and lack of corset apparent, and Cinder gasped, her skin heated with a blush. That... Well, that was certainly a great way to get her attention.

Ruby held her lips pressed up against the shell of her ear for a few long, interesting seconds, shifting gently against her body, just enjoying the proximity. When she finally moved away, watching Cinder's bewildered face with an amused expression, the one-eyed woman's visage eventually dripped into that seductive look of knowing, the corner of her mouth cocking in a smirk.

'What makes you think you're something special, when you smile?' Cinder thought to herself, entertaining her distanced thoughts for the moment. She wasn't one to read in to situations like this, and as much as she hoped Ruby was indeed sincere, she wasn't going to set herself up to fail just yet...

Like a predator, she pushed Ruby back and to the side, off of her, and once more crawled up to her as she leaned back to steady herself with her hand, that single, yellow eye looking at her like a hungry Grimm, just like Yang had said before. For a second, an ever so small hint of fear filtered into the back of Ruby's mind, but she tried to quell it, she knew Cinder was just trying to rustle her... Cinder's hand found her thigh, and she squeaked, which bled into a light whine of pain when her nails dug in and scratched downward. She shifted uncomfortably, and Cinder closed in.

'All I want to know is how to gain control... of you,' she thought to herself as she repeated the slow, shallow scratching... Ruby whimpered, and her grin grew in its sadistic smirk. Ruby flinched lightly when her face moved right in front of the girl's, and her blush was evident, so very cute to her, when she watched the girl cross her legs to stop Cinder's torturous scraping.

"Th-that hurts," she breathed, and of course, Cinder knew that... That was the point. But that was all the protest she received, and her hand moved to grip Ruby's loose, off-white shirt, tugging her closer. Their lips hovered mere hairs apart, Ruby's crimson cheeks so lovely as her half-lidded eye gazed over the bandaged side of her face. Ruby's breath hitched in expectation, and for a moment, Cinder acted as though she weren't going to do anything more, but instead, she moved forward so slowly that Ruby barely registered they were kissing at all until Cinder tugged her even closer, and the pressure became very evident.

And, true to her wishes, she felt something warm between them, and suddenly found her tongue coiled along the other female's, the slight, quiet, wet sounds of their kiss the only thing she could hear as her eyes closed tight, and the loving dance of their connection prevailed. She had to be as red as her cloak by now, she thought, she couldn't believe Cinder had actually taken her up on the offer for their second kiss...

She was a puddle, a hot mess, by the time that Cinder pulled back. Her heart was throbbing a tune only she could hear, pounding in her ears, and for a moment, she stayed frozen, eyes squeezed tight, like she were waiting for a blow to strike her down. Cinder merely watched this reaction, she'd meant it to have such great effect, but, utterly speechless as Ruby now was, her lips slightly parted as she panted in the afterglow of such an intimate encounter, Cinder let her hand find the girl's cheek. She just brushed it, and Ruby moved again, finally, nuzzling her cheek into those rough fingers as they increased in warmth just for her, her own hand covering the Maiden's, pressing that delightful feeling deeper into her own flesh. Cinder let her have that little moment of affection, knowing it was the sort of thing she'd needed, so easy was it to clear her head of her problems...

'I want to love you,' Cinder thought, a true enough belief.

'And if I should try... Would you catch me, if I fall?'

Something inside her was burning again, that fleck of flame in the dark, threatening to burst forth into the inferno it so craved to be, but she knew, deep inside, that this wasn't her strength... It was a pure, unadulterated weakness, this attachment she was now feeling, and she watched the girl, nuzzling her hand like a kitten...

'Life's river shall rise,' she thought, 'and only the strong shall survive... Tell me again, Ruby, do you think I am strong?'

Her internal monologue went of course unheard by the girl, who finally opened her visible eye, just as her fingers strung their way between Cinder's.

"So warm," she purred, her voice so gentle and sweet, it almost made Cinder's stomach cramp, the only time she was used to such a tone was from some of the more sinister acquaintances she'd met before... But, she knew Ruby was serious. Their hands fell into the Huntress' lap, and her fingers idly played with the lace of her skirt.

"You said if I found it... I could have it, right?" Ruby asked her, and Cinder searched her gaze, not quite understanding what she meant. She stopped leaning imposingly over her and the two met more half-way instead, with Ruby leaning onto her taller shoulder.

"There was a cold, dead heart... Now it's all covered with roses," she softly crooned, and the thought finally registered to Cinder. Is this what it was to have a companion? Did they always say such silly things? She just smiled, no use in fighting it... There never really was a use in fighting Ruby, she was quickly learning. She squeezed onto Cinder's arm, and as she looked down at the girl with the cast and the bandaged face, she grew content...

She was face to face with a mirror. She'd never felt so one with another, their wounds now matched, though it was Ruby's other eye which was blocked off, and she'd received minor scars, not lost it, but... In that moment, she saw herself in Ruby, just as Ruby had when she'd defended Cinder from Yang and Blake's questioning. She saw strength and conviction rivaling her own, a beauty so divine...

She supposed Ruby was right, she'd found her heart, and claimed it as her own.

'I'm finally out of words,' she thought, as she tried to discribe the way she felt in that instance. After a length of quiet, while Ruby nuzzled up against her, Cinder simply allowing it, the Red Huntress spoke once more.

"How do you do it?" she asked, cryptically, and, not knowing what she meant, Cinder regarded her with a careful gaze. Ruby looked up at her and smiled.

"Make me feel like I do?" she finally finished the question, and Cinder grinned. Her mastery over others emotions, she supposed... That sly grin of hers made Ruby smile too, she was getting so use to seeing it now... For a second, they both just rested together, but Cinder broke the silence by cringing hard in pain as a long bought of it shot through part of her shoulder. Seems some of the nerves had come back online, she thought, and Ruby rubbed her other shoulder consolingly.

"So, Cinder... What made you do it?" she asked, again cryptic with her meaning, though Cinder knew where she was going to go with it.

"You saved Jaune... He's not nearly as strong as you, surely he could've been killed by a direct hit like that... I mean, I wasn't even hit directly and it broke all the bones in my arm. And ruined Crescent Rose!" She tapped her cast for emphasis, and pointed to the mangled sniper-scythe Yang had hung back over the TV, and the woman now leaned over onto Ruby, changing the pattern she was laying in so she could lounge carefully against her side, tilting her head to the side to near her ear more.

"You," she whispered in answer, and batted her long lashes with that smirk still on her face, and Ruby blushed. It sounded so selfish when she said it like that, but at the same time, what she'd done was definitely the opposite. A pang of guilt coursed through her again for the scar on Cinder's face as she watched her lovely eye. She reached out and touched that scar, brushing over it like she'd done before. Cinder flinched away at the feeling, but Ruby followed her, knowing it was just a reaction, and Cinder's eye closed, feeling her fingers.

"I'm so... So sorry I had to do this to you," Ruby finally let her know, and the look of annoyance that spread on Cinder's face said she didn't want to hear it. But Ruby was serious.

"I really am, Cinder, I'd... I just wish I could look into your beautiful eyes, they're like untarnished golden coins or something..." She appreciated the compliment, but what happened next had Ruby's heart dropping into her stomach. She shouldn't have brought it up, because when she did, and Cinder closed her eye, a singular, crystalline tear slid down her cheek. She was quick to intercept it with a gentle kiss, tasting the salt on her lips as she moved slightly back.

"None of that, now," Ruby said, her voice more cheerful than she felt. Cinder looked at her with such pain, though, that she was overcome by that guilty feeling. Neither of them could change the past, they both knew it, but to be unwhole... Ruby knew something about what she must feel any time she remembered, she'd feel the same as Yang and her arm. And now, her voice was weaker than ever, she might not regain full use or feeling in her arm, it was so unfair that she'd only learned later what kind of person Cinder truly was.

"I just want you to know... I have no memory of what happened after I watched Pyrrha... Er... You know." She found it best not to say it. Cinder was happy she didn't, she hated even hearing the name, and she remembered everything. The scorching pain, especially...

"Just like you, it was simply an unintended side effect of everything that happened... I know you would've killed anybody who had the powers you needed, your drive... You set your mind to something, and you finish it, it's just who you are... All it was, was just something you did that failed to be charming. I did the same thing, I guess... I just reacted, and I tried to, to..." Ruby's choice of words seemed deliberate, and she was right; every single one of her friends had misunderstood her intentions, they'd thought she'd simply murdered Pyrrha because she could, or something, but no. It wasn't like that. Who else had she killed? Her goal was to steal the powers of the Maiden, and now that she had, she wished she could throw them back into that silly spartan woman's face. If it would bring her back, make her life easier, surely she'd do it in a heartbeat.

Ruby's thumb brushed the corner of her eye where another tear attempted escape, catching it before it was shed. Running with her emotions, Cinder sniffed her own nose, not wanting to leak from any other orifice right this moment, especially not in such an unflattering way.

Cinder was concerned though. Ruby had indeed tried to kill her, but only once, only with those insane powers of hers, on accident... The second time, in the middle of that horrid inferno, she'd tried to talk her down, to save her the normal way... She supposed maybe, seeing as Qrow had saved her from the inglorious form of suicide she'd been about to attempt at the time, she should probably thank him at some point... If he ever sobered long enough.

"I know this situation we're in right now looks bad. And it is. I mean, we're both so torn up, we won't be out on the field for awhile... So tomorrow, let's just relax together, you and me. I'll... have food delivered or something. We'll watch movies, maybe?" As she thought it out, her sour mood brightened slowly, and Cinder's did with it, there was something about seeing Ruby so excited that drove her emotions to new heights. She closed her eye, slowly smiling, and waited as Ruby gushed more plans at her, until she finally nodded gently. She grimaced, however, when Ruby threw herself into a hug at her accepting the proposal, she wasn't used to the cast she wore and it ended up digging uncomfortably into Cinder's gut. The Maiden buried her nose into Ruby's hair, and breathed deep, filling her mind with the flowery thoughts brought on by the girl's smell, it was so captivating... How did she manage to smell so good all the time?

"It's a date, then," Ruby finally said, ever so quietly near her ear.

"It's a date," repeated Cinder in her whisper.

"C-Cinder...?" Ruby said next, prompting the other female to raise her eyebrow.

"Yes?" she wondered back, and Ruby, leaning over as she was, pulled back slightly so their faces matched each others wounds like a mirror again.

"Can I kiss you again...?" she asked, and Cinder gave her a flat look, as though wondering why she'd even asked, but nodded to give her permission. She was curious, after all, having initiated both of their prior kisses, how Ruby operated. Turns out, she was rather shy about it, not a very dominant person, after all...

She moved close and gave her a slight peck, but, hesitating, instead pushed firmly up against her again, their lips meeting in careful embrace as they made sure not to harm one another's wounds. The kiss broke, but rekindled three or four times, and Ruby ended up laying against her, kissing her repetitively as she was. So that was it, then? She seemed to not know when she wanted to stop, and so after a couple more pecks, Cinder grabbed her shirt again, and shoved their lips firmly together. This time, it was Ruby who's tongue came to bear, and she met it half way, sliding against it, delighting in her taste. Ruby's hand balled into Cinder's top, both of them wished they had use of their other arm... Cinder wanted to touch, but this time, she wasn't very capable, and would have to go without... Finally something she wanted, denied to her. Instead she opted to pull Ruby as close as she could get her.

This kiss, as intense as could be, lasted far longer than the previous one, and there was indeed a brief thought by Ruby that Yang, with keys to this apartment in case of emergency, could walk in on them and discover the two making out on the couch. But she was sure that wouldn't happen, since there wasn't a problem, and they'd only just come from the hospital not too long ago. Even still, the thrill at the idea of being caught doing something for all intents and purposes she shouldn't be doing aroused her, and she became more bold, slipping along Cinder's lips and biting at her lower lip. The motion was more than enough "permission" for Cinder to get creative, and when Ruby suddenly felt that hand release her shirt, instead creeping up it, along her stomach, she let out a small noise and squeezed her cast to her midriff to stop the advance. Cinder, though, wasn't interested in going higher than where she was, and her nails scratched at the girl again, pulling red lines across her skin from her navel to her hip. Ruby shivered, it stung, but felt oddly good... Her side of the kiss faltered as she wheezed out a hot breath, and Cinder cocked her head back, looking at a downward angle, her lips open slightly as she delighted in the reaction. She let her fingertips gently wander that stomach, and felt Ruby untense, her cast coming back to allow her more freedom... Perfect...

She leaned forward to close the distance between their lips again, and Ruby melted against her as she toyed with the girl's bare stomach, leaving marks every so often in a pattern of four lines. She wished she had a knife... and then shook that thought from her mind.

Somehow she felt that Ruby wouldn't appreciate having her skin so neatly sliced... She bit her own lip in the middle of the kiss as her arousal spiked at the idea. Ruby's head was filled with plenty of her own naughty thoughts, but she resisted them all the same, neither of them really seemed to let the moment advance, and for a time, they continued to kiss until Ruby finally broke it and cuddled up to her side, making small noises, that adorable blush forcing her eyes closed as she whimpered under Cinder's hand.

"Look at you, little worm... The birds are here, now," she whispered to Ruby, who's face was lost in both pleasure and embarrassment. Cinder scratched over her stomach and down to her other hip, now, but stopped and pressed her fingers into the sensitive crook there, finally eliciting an involuntary moan from Ruby. She pushed the hand off of her.

"Cinder," she whined, "I'm not that kind of girl..." Cinder smirked, oh, she wasn't? She drew close, and with her nose, pushed Ruby's chin upward. Her teeth latched onto her Huntress' neck, grazing her flesh, bringing out a louder version of the lovely noise, even as her hand slipped up Ruby's side. Oh, she was such a fun toy...

No matter where on Ruby's body she lingered, her beauty followed wherever she'd go, the soft, wondrous flesh hers for the taking. Ruby was breathing harder, she noticed as she continued her attack on the girl's throat, and her hand slipped around that hip, over her skirt, clutching at her backside, squeezing a full handful of that delicious rump... Her arousal was strong, now, she noticed, because she wanted to spank it, so soft, her fingers sunk in slightly.

"Ahh...!" Ruby exclaimed, her hips pressing into Cinder, her hand falling away, she wished very much that their injuries weren't getting in the way so much... She could feel their closeness, their bare legs slid against each others soft flesh, Cinder was biting at her jaw line, nipping her sensitive little spots underneath her jaw. Eventually, Ruby's hand found the back of Cinder's head, her fingers running through that lovely hair over and over again.

"Cinder..." she breathed, and the woman shuddered as her name was so softly spoken in that lusty tone. Then, just as quickly as she'd started, Cinder stopped.

"C-Cinder...?" Ruby questioned, opening her eye that long ago had closed involuntarily. Cinder wore such a devious grin, and when she pulled away, moving to lean the other direction on the couch, Ruby felt her whole body shudder, and the heat within, the wetness between her legs...

"N-No fair!" she called after Cinder, whom seemed content to cross her arms, watching the girl. Why had she stopped?

"Cinderrr," Ruby whined, and tugged at her sleeve. She didn't want it to stop so suddenly...! She wrapped about Cinder's arm again, even pressing her chest up against her, rubbing those perky breasts against her, but it didn't work. Cinder just ignored it, and turned her chin away. Nope, she'd had her fill, and now was tasting the delicious flavors of Ruby's desire. After the kitten of a girl had pawed at her a few more times in her pouting state, she finally cooled off enough to realize it wasn't happening.

"You're a jerk," she said, harrumphing loudly and leaning her back up against Cinder's side. The Maiden just shrugged. She knew this fact already. Ruby, not really wanting to leave the closeness of the other female, instead turned her into a human teddy-bear, complaining at her a couple more times for awhile until she finally fell silent. Cinder ignored her so long, it seemed, that Ruby had eventually fallen asleep on top of her, and, suddenly realizing this, she grew agitated. Damn it, now what could she do, she was pinned! With a sigh, and knowing that Ruby needed the rest, she caved, and relaxed, staring out the window at the sight of the powers that be. In the distance, the abandoned tower of Beacon Academy loomed, and she wondered to herself if Ruby would ever get to return there. She'd really ruined that place... tragic, but it had been necessary at the time.

Eventually, immobilized by the sweet girl on top of her, she'd been reduced to running her fingers through Ruby's lovely hair, until the relaxing feeling this generated put her to sleep too.

The next day they'd do anything Ruby wanted, she assured herself, it would be fun, and she looked forward to bonding with the girl a bit more.

Next time things escalated like this, though... She wasn't holding back for Ruby's sake. That whining, pitiful arousal as she'd asked her to continue... It was so close to begging, she wondered if maybe she could manage to make her do just that.

Her dreams were filled with delightful thoughts of a rather sexual nature, which had spread a huge smile onto her face as she slumbered.


	10. Chapter 10: Way Too Fast

**[TIMESKIP TIME! Don't worry, it was planned, but the title of this chapter wasn't. It was a happy accident. ALSO OC TIEM]**

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 10: Way Too Fast**

The irony of it all dragged on Cinder every day. With each second she spent with Ruby, she felt the tension building on that particular note. She knew who she was, after all. They had become the closest of people, for some reason, Ruby's quick-molding personality fit right around her edged, tarnished one. It sunk in all the cracks, made her feel for once, normal again. But with each and every day they spent with one another, she felt herself softening. Their intimacy was fleeting, as it often came in the form of concern, and they were recovering, not out in the field anymore. Occasionally, they could be close, Ruby often wanted affection, however Cinder's cool heart never really required much. It was more when she felt her emotions, bottled as they constantly were, explode forth in a torrent so great that Ruby had to be the dam and hold it back. But those were the circumstances Ruby seemed to live for...

Their defeat of the Storm Bat had seen Team JRNY, with their newest member, Yoru, clear out their sector so fast that they'd been coupled up to work as flankers with two different units, creating a snowball effect that swept the sectors on the east side of the city clear just before winter had set in. On cold nights, Cinder and Ruby had far more appreciated each others existence... They filled their days mostly in the apartment, in their respective rooms or away from one another, working on various hobbies. They couldn't afford to be with each other all the time, with so much time together, Cinder often became frustrated within mere minutes of Ruby's jubilant attitude, and so she had played it safe and been careful to only engage for maybe an hour or two a day if she was feeling needy.

Once, Cinder had accidentally left her journal unlocked, and Ruby, having spotted it through a crack in the door with those perceptive sniper's eyes, her bandages long removed, she'd crept inside her room while she slept and read the chapter she'd just written.

Cinder hadn't even told her it was her birthday, but when she'd found out, Ruby had cleverly orchestrated an entire event, keeping the invites tight, she'd restricted them to Blake, Yang, Ren, and Penny, as they were the only ones who either had already accepted her, or didn't care who she was, now. Blake had only come because she was going to be leaving soon, Weiss had declined the invite, citing business, however they knew it was likely because of her clear distaste and natural clashing personality to Cinder's. It had been a month since she'd returned, after all, and Cinder had quickly grown a boiling hatred for everything the capitalist did or said. Weiss Schnee, to her, was the exact sort of person she'd been trying to erase from the planet with her machinations.

The party had gone smoothly, with the small crew they'd selected, the girls had piled in to Penny's handler's car, although Ruby preferred riding tandem with Yang on her motorcycle. She had a blast finally having her cast off, and although Cinder thought that maybe that was the occasion, when they finally made it to the play she'd booked for them all, a macabre story of old tales of Huntsmen in times when Grimm were plentiful... During the climax scene between the main lovers of the show, Ruby had leaned against her. Cinder knew why, though she wasn't concerned with the sentimentality, at least, not until that soft "happy birthday" she'd whispered into her ear like they had become so fond of doing.

Cinder's face had been so red, she was glad everyone else was distracted by the play. Especially Penny, she had run an analyzing algorithm since the start, and it had concluded genuinely that the play was spectacular. Her emotional circuits fired on all fronts, and the ecstatic android's coding had bubbled up so much, she'd embarrassed herself by shouting at the stage in the middle of the show whenever one of the Huntsmen were about to be sprung upon by stealthy Grimm. The others, of course, laughed, even Cinder. To her, though, the reason was different. It wasn't because it was Penny, but because of how flawed that machine seemed to be... In her mind, Penny was not a person, but a doll; she operated under specific processes and sometimes the results were humorous. Whatever the case, though, as she was laughing on the surface, Ruby seemed to be happy.

But now, as the cold winds blew the delicate snow across the badgered streets of Vale's cleared regions, the efforts to restore it delayed until after the winter, Ruby stood quiet, the only other noise about them the crunch of snow under Cinder's feet, and the gently rolling winds.

Cinder's hair was speckled white with snowflakes, the large black scarf she'd taken to wearing wrapped close up to her nose. The tail of it blew with the breeze, matching the direction and rolling fabric of the red one in front of her.

"What...?" Cinder spoke gently in that soft, tiny voice she'd come to have. Ruby had worked with her for the whole month on her voice, it turned out that the energy from the blast she'd sustained had rather canceled out some of the residual energy Ruby's eyes had left inside of her. Her recovery had been very swift, matching the time it took to heal Ruby's arm, their auras had been so charged from one another that their healing rates were almost synchronized. It was an interesting feeling for them both, when they were fighting, to be able to feel stronger the closer they were to one another, but Ruby had had, during the holiday, a visit to her father's place and had discussed that very idea with him. Twice, of course, Taiyang had been close with other aura users, lovers on a battlefield. He said that his experience was that he'd felt almost invincible when they were nearby, they fed off of one another, their tactics combined, they became a force nothing could stop... That is, unless it was far more powerful than they.

Ruby had paused as they walked. She recognized where they were, it had been ages since this part of the city had been overrun... Finally, they'd cleared the outskirts, and further ahead, upon the edge of a steep hill, there was a lump in the snow, the trees flanking the path up to it. Cinder knew not what it was, but Ruby's reaction as she suddenly burst into a scattering of rose petals, had her running to catch up. The Red Huntress knelt, and brushed clean the stone underneath that pile of raised crystals, wiping clean a slate that could only catch Cinder's breath when she understood the significance.

The white light shone off of the snow, filtered through lazy clouds, but through the glare Cinder made out the name of Ruby's mother, she was certain it was, she'd seen the hints, and wasn't ignorant of naming conventions. Summer Rose. The name actually brightened her mood, her Ruby was the summer to her autumn, that burst of energy just before it all darkened to winter, flowing right through her... but it was hard to tell how Ruby was feeling. She seemed both sad and happy at once, so torn, as she knelt there in the snow, and Cinder placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing gently. She'd regained mobility in her fingers, her biggest hobby had of course been training her new body to respond to her commands. What she wanted, she got, and she included her own body in the algorithm.

"I wish Yang was here," Ruby said softly, happily, as she looked out over the edge of the steep before her.

"Mm," Cinder noised softly, she and Yang had grown a respect for one another over this time. The fiery blonde was a strong, independent woman, one that Cinder could understand far more easily than the others, even Ruby. And Yang, she'd found that Cinder's effect on her sister was far too potent to ignore, she'd seen Cinder's prowess, too, she'd even lost a sparring match to her when she'd finally challenged her over an argument.

Cinder would've said more, but she'd spoken too recently. They'd found it best if she expressed herself through small noises over words, but every so often she'd form one out of convenience. The easiest word that came to her was Ruby's name, however, whenever she wanted.

"Ruby," she stated, and suddenly jerked the girl to her feet, a puff of vapor rolling from her lips as she exhaled, and pointed with her other hand.

Before them a large herd of pachyderm Grimm roamed along the field below. Ruby sighed. That sort of a stampede would be highly dangerous to Vale, and of course, she didn't want to lose this place, so sacred as it was to her. Cinder's arm wrapped about her shoulders and pulled her against her side. They needed to report it, she knew, and she pressed her forehead to her Maiden's shoulder.

"Jaune's going to want to know about this," she stated, and Cinder frowned. Jaune, yes... That one, well, she rather hated to be around. Ruby's statement served almost as a warning in that respect. Jaune understood the fact she'd probably saved his life, but in his mind it barely equated to Pyrrha's. The reason for his toleration, it turned out, was respect for the deceased girl's views. Pyrrha had been bested in battle, finally, and everyone agreed that if she'd been able to return and see where Cinder was now, she would understand. Pyrrha Nikos, as Cinder had come to sort of understand, had been a pure, wonderful person, and her honor and prowess had spread her reputation quite far. In fact, she'd eaten a bowl of cereal this morning with her face on the box. She detested the brand, for the feelings it sparked in her were far too complex, but Ruby had been subtly working her patience when it came to attempting to get her over her own actions...

Nothing ever truly could. Understanding herself more than anyone else, Cinder naturally knew that her path in life had felt so very forced. Like she'd needed, absolutely needed to do everything she'd ever done... Until Ruby, that is, had given her a second chance, with a little help from that ingrate, Qrow...

Qrow, now that name she detested for many more reasons. Not only was his Semblance one of the worst to deal with, but he also had a knack for barging in during inappropriate times, hitting on her when he was far too drunk, insulting her when he wasn't, and disappearing on Ruby for indeterminate amounts of time. She knew how much her Huntress respected the man...

Her attention finally snapped back to the situation at hand when Ruby shifted from her position in the snow. As she turned toward her, her hand didn't leave Cinder's arm, her face was a mixture of paints, she would have loved to capture that moment on paper... But the concern and lack of art supplies instead forced her to clamp a heavy hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Let's go," Cinder said softly. Ruby nodded and they drew away, leaving the stone behind as the cloud of rose petals from before finally caught up to it on the wind. They pelted the snow into a mosaic of red and white, and the crimson and down seeped into Cinder's eye, captured in her memory. Now that was something she would save to paint later.

"Team JRNY is set up in sector EIGHT," Ruby mentioned, and gestured to the right off in it's direction. As she ran, the folded sniper-scythe on her back clacked against the magazine pouch on her belt. Ruby's new machine was a work of master craftsmanship, she'd designed her first weapon, too, but this one had taken that design and perfected it. It had all the bells and whistles. Placements for her feet, an outer-facing blade as well as the inner one, a larger bore barrel, rifled in a perfect spiral, slightly longer, widening at the end... She'd done away with the spear tip, as it largely went unused, instead adopting her counterweight into a heavy ring which she could grasp onto if she needed to propel herself upward or rotate the whole scythe around her waist. When it was folded, the ring settled around the barrel of the rifle and provided a heavy stability to the shot on any surface she set it on, or a perfect grip if she didn't.

The design was genius, really, Cinder had always thought so, but she herself had had a new smoked glass bow forged with gold shavings, they had indeed used their time efficiently on their designs. The gold melted easily, provided a metal inside the glass she could use to burn people, and when the arrows were split apart, her favorite trick, they sometimes glowed, which reflected from the gold and caused a sudden flash if she did it fast enough. Unwitting opponents would never see her attacks coming around their very defenses now.

"Ruby," Cinder called and slid to a stop in the deep snow, her high leather boots locking in place as she looked off into the trees.

There was the snap of a twig, and a sudden flurry of air, accompanied by a spreading of snow, it flushed around them, lifted from its place on the ground. They shielded their eyes, and when it passed, looked over their arms.

"Ladies," Yoru said, giving them a cocky grin and pointing their way with dual finger-guns. It was the new member of Jaune's team, in his purple jacket, the golden buttons running along the front fastened against the cold. The long black pants he wore descended into the snow he stood in, hiding his shoes, but his flowing, brown hair caught the wind and fluttered behind him. He batted his pretty green eyes, and Cinder felt sick to her stomach.

"Oh, did they send you to find us? We were just about to report, but sector EIGHT isn't even near here..." Cinder took note of that, and looked at the man with that single icy stare.

"Well, you know, I get around," he said cheaply. Cinder noted that on the small of his back sat a black case, inside of it, she was sure, was his weapon. There was something off about this guy... With a tilt of her head, her hair spilled over her eyeless side, it was growing out again, like it had been before The Accident. They'd decided that the title was appropriate for what Ruby had done to Cinder, the whole thing was just a misunderstanding, anymore...

"So I heard you girls were checkin' out sector TWO, thought I'd pop by, get the scoop..." His mannerisms were already ticking at Cinder's nerves... If she wasn't mistaken, this man was a scoundrel, she knew the type, but she didn't bother with words. Her gaze was unmistakable to Ruby, when she saw it, and she became guarded, but didn't change her innocent demeanor. A good Hunter, bad Hunter tactic they'd adopted to deal with certain people.

"Large herd of big ones," Ruby said nonchalantly, "nothing new for the deep fields... Recommend an air strike and mop up," she stated in an official manner, and the man leaned on his own hip, giving her a quizzical look. Whatever he'd been about to do or say seemed to filter passed his mind, and he nodded. But, as if he was never there, a burst of wind took him right out of their vision... No motion blur, nothing, he just... Disappeared. The snow exploded away from where he'd been, plastering the front of their coats with white.

"Yoru...?" Cinder wondered aloud, and Ruby nodded to her. Suspicious, she noted... They languidly walked through the snow now, their job for the day done, a simple scouting mission. Team RWBY wasn't on schedule for anything until later that day, Cinder was always scheduled alone... Ruby always tagged along.

They headed back now, to the warmth of the city. Ruby had begged her for tea, and when it came to Cinder, what Ruby wanted, Ruby got...


	11. Chapter 11: Touch, Sweet Touch

**[WARNING: I hope you've got a sore throat or upset stomach, cuz there's some SERIOUS LEMON HERE. Minors not allowed unless you lie about your age to the cops. ;D]**

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 11: Touch, Sweet Touch**

The tea shop was a place to relax, especially after a long day, though their mission, cut shorter as it was by the appearance of the strange new member of team JRNY, was not nearly as long as many they embarked upon. It was nice to have a day to themselves for once, Huntsmen never truly got a day off unless they were wounded, but seeing as they'd both recovered, the days they did get to share were now fewer and far between. Business was business, they rarely acted as a couple out in the field, though it was very evident to everyone by now that they were an item. So, when Cinder and Ruby walked into the shop, the man behind the counter greeted them cheerfully.

"Hey Jole," Ruby said softly, "two, the usual please." Ruby always ordered mint tea, heavily sweetened, and Cinder took her green tea with no sugar. In just a few minutes, they had their drinks, and had taken a seat to enjoy them.

"What should we make of him, you're wondering, right?" the Huntress asked the Maiden, who tucked further back down under her scarf at being figured out. Was she truly so easy to read, now?

"Don't worry about it, I understand. He's a fresh reinforcement all the way from Mistral, they sent him on request from Professor Goodwitch."

"Sus...picio..." her word died out before she finished it, and Ruby's rosy cheeks slid upward in a smile from under her scarf as she attempted the bigger word, to her it was cute. She then pushed down her scarf a bit, to attempt a sip at her tea before burning herself as usual, she was terrible at testing for heat. Cinder tried not to laugh as she was reduced to hanging her tongue out for a moment.

"Yeah... I guess he kind of is, but so were you at first," she reminded her, and Cinder gave her a flat look. Cinder held her tea in her hands on the table, warming her fingers. She was looking forward to going home early today, and for a moment the thought of teasing Ruby later fluttered through her mind, it had been some time since they'd flirted with one another, and Cinder was feeling particularly happy today...

"I'm so glad we were able to clear to my mother's grave," Ruby stated, and Cinder nodded her agreement. Now she'd be able to spend time there again, something that always comforted her, as Yang had explained when they'd learned about it being cleared by Team CFVY.

"I'm also glad Coco didn't turn those trees leading to the grave into swiss cheese," she mentioned, and chuckled softly. It had been awhile since she'd seen any of those people, their last run-in with Velvet hadn't exactly blown over so well with Cinder when she'd been the subject of her photography, but trying to stop Velvet from taking a picture of her bow had been difficult, and not very successful. The rabbit-eared faunas had really enjoyed the design of their new weapons.

Ruby took a second to wave out the window, and Cinder looked over to see Penny, waving back, as she passed by. She grumbled under her breath, almost inaudibly, and ignored the android when she also received a wave. Penny kept on walking, though, which she was thankful for, and she held up her tea, smelling it's potent herbal goodness. She brought her scarf down as well, blowing gently on the surface. She would have ordered cold tea and heated it herself to get it perfect, but then she'd finish long before her Huntress.

They enjoyed small talk, very small talk in Cinder's case, finishing their drinks, and eventually they left, Ruby paid, and they walked down the snow-lined streets to their home. They'd been talking about maybe moving in the future, but for now they had kept the same quarters. Cinder opened the door for Ruby when they'd reached it, giving her a polite gesture and following behind her. As usual, Ruby stepped to the center of the living room and expanded her scythe, then, careful not to knock anything over, she hung it over the television. They'd moved the mount for her old, mangled scythe into her room. She kept it around as a symbol of their victory, she always said, but Cinder was pretty sure she knew the real reason why it would be so nostalgic for her.

Cinder leaned her bow up in the corner by the front door. Thankfully their place was heated, and she quickly removed her scarf and the dark coat, tossing them onto the couch. Ruby followed suit with her own equivalents, and began stretching her body in various ways, Cinder tried not to stare when it bent her into certain angles.

"You know, I'll bet Team JRNY is already on their way back by now. They've been really on point with their efforts, you know? That new guy sure seems to know wh-" She had been stretching to the side, arm over her head, when Cinder stalked over and pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Enough," she said softly, she was tired of hearing about them and Yoru. Ruby made an apologetic face, and straightened up. Cinder regarded her critically, she noticed a hint of a pout, and so she reached out and took Ruby's hand. She hadn't meant to seem like she was scolding. So she pulled her Huntress taught against herself, and Ruby's cheeks turned rosy again, this time not from the cold, but because of Cinder. But, the woman was like a heater in this weather, and she sunk in, placing her cheek against her chest, and for a moment they just held one another in a silent embrace, and Ruby gave a soft, happy sigh.

It had taken a lot to get here, but here they were...

Cinder released her, so she let go too, and instead the leggy Maiden gingerly touched her hand again, sliding their fingers together in a mesh as she gripped her and tugged her along.

"Where are you taking me?" Ruby questioned with mock disdain, and Cinder gave her a sly smile, but nothing more. She played to Ruby's curiosity, so the girl didn't resist, and Cinder pulled her into the hallway, and then her own room, a place Ruby was hardly usually taken to. They spent most of their together time in Ruby's room, Cinder's served more as a sanctuary that she could retreat to whenever her negative emotions got in the way of things. She certainly was complex, but Ruby's determination usually fixed that...

"Your room...?" she wondered aloud, even more curious what she could want bringing her in there. It smelled vaguely of charcoal, she noted as she entered, and Cinder had finally claimed the space as hers over the past month, the walls covered in various posters and artwork. Some of them were of Grimm, dark and sinister, but it didn't phase Ruby seeing them, she was too used to their appearances. In particular, though, she noted a few paintings, which were fully framed, around the room. The walls were absolutely covered, making the small amount of light filtering in through the blinds lost among the dim place.

As she looked over the paintings, she noticed, however, the familiar scenes in each one, and Cinder smiled when the girl pulled her hand away so she could stand in the middle of the room and spin about. It had been weeks since she'd so much as seen this place, save for the one time she'd snuck in, and hadn't really had a good look around. Lately, Cinder had spent a fair amount of time in here before they'd been declared fit to go on missions again.

Ruby stepped to a painting of the Storm Bat in flight, the colors were so vivid, the dark, roiling wings, the thick sparks of electricity... The brush strokes formed a texture on the canvas, and she looked back to Cinder.

"Did you... paint these?" she asked, and Cinder nodded, now sitting on the bed, one long leg crossed over the other as she leaned back on her hands.

"Wow... They're amazing," she said, stepping over to a painting of Beacon Academy, the statuesque Dragon Grimm looming over the grounds.

Cinder waited while she checked them all out, but then moved over the bed, to the other side. She was reaching for something, and Ruby grew curious... She walked over, and when she neared the edge of the bed, Cinder pulled back up from behind it, and produced another painting, unframed, the canvas still looking quite fresh around the picture, unfinished.

But the painting was a portrait... A portrait of Ruby, with a beautiful smile, her red-tipped hair framing her face, a painting of exactly how Cinder saw her. Cinder was wearing that rare blush again when she showed her, and Ruby took it from her to examine it, her jaw dropping open.

"Woah... Cin..." she said endearingly, and Cinder allowed the nickname, she only ever used it in moments like these anyway, and besides that, Ruby was the only one who could call her whatever she wanted. Anyone else and she tended to anger...

Ruby angled the painting so the thin light from the blinds allowed her to appreciate it's detail fully, before she handed it back. Cinder took it in one hand, her other hand grabbed Ruby by the wrist, and in one fluid motion, she leaned back to place the painting beside the bed where it had been before, and at the same time, pulling Ruby off her feet roughly and onto her own bed. Before she knew it, Ruby found herself with Cinder over her, pinning her wrists to the bed, and it suddenly became very evident why Cinder had wanted her to come in here.

Cinder wanted to be affectionate for once, she thought, and her smile brightened the room for Cinder, who was swift to knock it off her lips with a kiss. She bent like a cat to accomplish this, her backside wiggling slightly in the air, which Ruby caught notice of the moment the kiss was broken.

"Cinder..." Ruby looked over her entire form, her cheeks flushed and her face serious. Cinder watched her as she checked her out, it made her heart race, her blood heat...

"You're getting warmer," Ruby commented in a gentle tone, lovingly bending her knees up to bump against that curvy butt she liked to scope out from time to time. Cinder's eye shifted to that lusty gaze, and she knew she'd done it, right then, when that wicked smile graced her lips. This smile, those eyes, that whole look she was giving her right now... She loved it, it was the one reserved for when she knew she was in for something intimate.

In reaction to her words, the blush was apparent on Cinder's face again, but also with it came more heat as she let her body build in temperature.

"O-Oh..."

The Maiden dipped her head to the side and placed one hot kiss to the flesh of her neck, and Ruby wiggled underneath her at the feeling, her lips parting silently. But the woman didn't pull away, instead she built heat in the kiss, until Ruby was squirming, and eventually, made a slight noise of pain.

"Ouch," she pouted, and Cinder pulled away, smirking in satisfaction. Her hands slid down Ruby's arms, still holding her in place, but she lowered, placing another warm kiss to her collarbone. By now, her warmth was radiating everywhere, and Ruby was beginning to grow uncomfortable in her winter clothes... Cinder already anticipated this, though, and she continued moving downward, resting her head on Ruby's stomach as her hands retreated. With her arms back under control, Ruby chuckled lightly and wound her fingers into Cinder's hair. Cinder was removing her boots for her, and when she'd finally had both off, rubbed her feet gently through her stockings.

"You're too good to me," Ruby chimed as she received the light massage, which worked it's way up her calves, then her thighs... She let out a soft sigh of relief as her aches were worked away, their demanding job always made this appropriate. But when those hands, so deceptive in their position, suddenly shot up under her skirt, she gasped and tried to push it down. But Cinder didn't lift it, instead she pulled at the top of her stockings, removing those too. Ruby was one to usually stop her from moving too quickly, so instead she liked to provoke that little quirk with tricks like this... When her legs were bare, she ran her hands over the girl's thighs, moving back on the bed and just looking at her. Her hands were in her lap still, holding her skirt down, and she batted her lashes, those wonderful eyes, up at Cinder.

Even though her face had those shrapnel scars now, Cinder didn't notice a bit of a change in her lovely looks. If anything, they played more into her warrior spirit, for what was a warrior without scars? Her hands moved, brushing occasionally ever so fleetingly as they traveled up to Ruby's cheeks, where she cupped them, her thumb running over the scar at the corner of her mouth. This was a common thing for her, she liked that one the best, for some reason. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Ruby's forehead, and the girl's hands found Cinder's arms, gently hanging on to her.

Cinder's warmth had evened out, she'd stopped using her Semblance to produce more, instead letting her natural warmth radiate. In a moment, she had her own boots and leggings lost, and only her usual lacy dress remained, her long legs apparent as she returned to the other woman.

This was going to take very tricky set of plays, Cinder thought, fully intent on enjoying everything about her Huntress right here and now. Never before had they had a chance like this, they had time, the vibe of the day was happy... If they were ever supposed to enjoy life, today was the day. Her intentions were entirely selfish, it was true, however she was fully capable of returning every feeling twofold for her little Red Riding Hood.

When Cinder sidled up to Ruby again, their legs brushed, and the heat the latter felt made her gasp. It wasn't that hot, but it was overly intense, and when that hand found her cheek, equally warm, those lips brushed her own, just as fiery as the other touches, her skin moved to match, flesh heating in the intimate moment of Cinder's loving embrace. They kissed, and Cinder lowered herself against the Huntress, their bodies flush against one another, Ruby stretched her hands above her head.

"You're like a blanket," Ruby commented with a coy smile, and Cinder returned the affectionate gaze, her own lips hadn't lost that same look Ruby enjoyed. The seductress though revealed her plan, finally, when she slid upward, and pressed their breasts together. Even through the fabric of their clothing, it caught Ruby's breath right in her throat, and she froze. Cinder pressed against her firmly, and it squeezed a low, short, gentle moan from Ruby's lips.

"Better," Cinder purred quietly, having worked the humor out of the situation. Ruby watched as she licked her lips slowly, it sent a shiver up her spine when it was followed by the predator's stare, and she, the prey, let out a small cheep of anticipation. Cinder's assault came swiftly, badgering down the walls of her reluctance with that mouth along her neck again. Her hands could only curl about the woman's shoulders in reaction as those lips and that tongue toyed with her flesh, the teeth nibbling against her skin every so often... All just a clever, carefully planned distraction. Cinder knew how sensitive Ruby's neck was, once she'd simply brushed with her sleeve on accident, it sent her whole body through a rigid shiver, which had made Yang laugh pretty heavily at the time...

However, unseen and not really felt through the distraction of those wonderful, steaming lips against her flesh, Cinder's hands were swiftly at work, untying that corset she so eagerly needed out of her way. The soft flesh underneath that hard armor was hers, and she intended to take it.

"Cinder," Ruby breathed to her, fingers dancing about the Maiden's shoulders, one hand gently reaching her hair, toying it's silky strands through her digits.

Cinder always loved it when Ruby said her name, but by the end of today, she'd hoped she'd heard it shouted, begged, and shuddered from her lips, she wanted to hear it in every tone she could extract... When her preparations were complete, she slid her lips over Ruby's collarbone, running her tongue slowly along that line, until she found the softer flesh of her shoulder, peeling her shirt ever so slightly back to bite, hard, on her flesh. Ruby cried out, and Cinder pulled her corset open. Without wasting a single second, her hands slid up that shirt, and along her stomach, fingers tracing soft tingles along her skin until they played along her ribs. Ruby gasped sharply, her hands, beside her head now, found the sheets and clutched them.

She'd been so blindsided by it, she couldn't even protest as Cinder took what she wanted. Need flushed through the Red Huntress, and her legs squeezed either side of Cinder's hips. The seductive Cinder, of course, moved her lips to the girl's ear now, playing ever so slowly against the shell of it.

"I want you, Ruby..." she whispered, sending another shiver through her, she was trapped, at the mercy of the lion...

"Ahh..." came the soft response, so adorable, she couldn't even manage to tell her no...

Cinder's hands slid around Ruby's body to her sides, and she captured her lips, having to chase down her face when she looked away out of embarrassment, but the moment she'd found them, Ruby turned back toward her, and parted her lips ever so slightly... It was all she needed for the invasion of her tongue into the other girl's territory, it pushed to find her own, and coiled smoothly around it. From where Cinder's hands were, high up on her ribs, she dug in her nails again like she had on only one other occasion, and dragged them down over that flesh sharply, prompting Ruby to moan against her and squirm... The vibrations that this caused against her own lips only egged her on, however, and she pushed her hands back up, smoothing the stimulated flesh, knowing she'd left red marks again. Ruby's skin, so much like porcelain, was like a canvas to her... Painting the rosy color of their lust on such a lovely surface was...

"Ahhh...!" Ruby cried again, breaking the kiss, as a clever shift of Cinder's thighs caused them to slide carefully along the sensitive insides of Ruby's own pair. Her hand came to her own mouth, and she bit her knuckle and shuddered, her eyes had been shut for awhile now... Cinder's hand found her chin and turned her face to face her again, prompting her to open them and stare at her one, and she gazed into those lovely silver lakes, enjoying how her expression pointed at how lost she was for any sort of response to it all. Indeed, she said nothing, but panted softly, her eyes dancing in the dim mid-afternoon light filtering in from the window. Cinder, enjoying the scene of this normally vibrant girl, now reduced to a mushy, blushy puddle, with her hands part-way up her shirt... It all captivated her in to holding still, and eventually Ruby calmed slightly over the course of a few seconds.

"Higher," she instructed, almost as though she were demanding it, and she cast a glance to Cinder's hands.

Cinder did as she was told, she tended to listen to Ruby after all... And her hands moved up that lovely set of ribs, thumbs and forefingers forming a curve each as she reached the underside of Ruby's lovely, perky pair. Ruby swallowed hard, and bit more on the finger in her mouth, her breath hitching again. Cinder hesitated, instead choosing to keep that little reaction in her mind, and her hands retreated, causing Ruby to let out the breath she'd held in. She'd technically given her her demand, while simultaneously keeping all the control.

Oh how she enjoyed this.

But, not wanting to completely disappoint the girl, now that her corset was out of the way, she pressed their chests against one another again, and enjoyed the pressure between them, letting out her own puff of breath at the feeling. Ruby's nipples were hard, she could feel them, this was really working for her... And for Cinder, she was only just getting started, now that they were where they'd left off last time, it was time for some fun... Where her hands were on Ruby's stomach, they heated up rapidly, quickly turning to a light scorch as Ruby's eyes suddenly snapped open. Her hands found Cinder's shoulders as she tried to push her away, but her fingers dug in and clutched around her sides, and her hands grew to a burn.

"Mmmmnnn!" Ruby's noise of pain came, filtering over her ears like the music of falling water, and she felt a certain part of her body build a fair amount of moisture as she reveled in it, Ruby's back arched and her fingers dug in. She didn't do enough to damage her flesh, but when she pulled her hands away finally, Ruby's body relaxing as she panted at enduring such torture, there were two definite hand prints where her flesh had been irritated by the heat.

"D...Don't, Cinder..." she gasped at her, but Cinder wasn't listening... instead, her lips were next, they built with that flaming intensity and she pushed them up under Ruby's jawline, her body flattening against her to pin her down, arms quickly gripping the girl's elbows and holding them in place.

"Ahh, Cinder!" she yelped as the kiss burned her, intense enough that she could feel it warming her ear, a few inches higher than where her lips even were.

"S-Stop it," she commanded, trying to fight against her, but it was no use. She was trapped, and she waited for the pain to subside, finally when Cinder moved away, her lips cooled, and she pushed a kiss again to the small mark she'd left in the shape of her lips, slowly reddening. She loved the shade that Ruby's flesh turned to, that rosy crimson, any time it was agitated... She kissed her gently, trailing them along her throat to the other side, then nipped her affectionately. The return to sudden pleasure had Ruby's head swimming, she didn't know how to feel anymore, two parts of her stung slightly, but the rest all tingled... Where their breasts kept pressing to one another, where those creamy thighs were rubbing against hers... To the shiver that floated through her as Cinder toyed with her neck.

Ruby was conflicted. She didn't know how to take the treatment she was getting... Was it good, or...?

She would've continued to question it if Cinder's next move hadn't also taken her by surprise. She lifted her hips to curl her body slightly against Ruby's, and slipped one leg in between the two of hers, pressing her knee up against her skirt, which folded inward and padded the motion, though it allowed everything to push right up between her legs, and ever so gently, she felt a light pressure on her sex. Again she swallowed, and again her breath stopped in it's tracks, her heart began thumping in her throat, when she finally realized what Cinder was after...

Her eyes slid open to find the Huntress had become the prey, as the look Cinder was giving her was unmistakable... Is this how she was when she was really intimate? And to think, last time, she'd stopped so suddenly... Ruby had wanted more, but now that she'd felt what Cinder's little fetish seemed to be, she was hesitant.

"Cinder..." she breathed, watching her cautiously. When she said her name, it only turned her on more, so she pushed her leg firmly up against the girl's clothes, sliding them against her core again.

"Nhhaah!" she yelped in pleasure, squirming underneath her, since Cinder was still pinning her arms. There was nothing she could do to stop it when Cinder began to roll her hips, continuing that very same pressure again and again, and her eyes shut tight, her little moans pouring out with each gentle push. Cinder was absolutely dripping with her arousal, now, she could feel it... This little Huntress was hers, and she was going to make sure she knew it.

"Ah... ah... Cinder, hn..." Ruby purred as the woman's gentle pace began to really affect her. Her cheeks were a violent rose color, her voice so soft, lilting...

Oh, how far they had come indeed, Cinder thought, as though those words Ruby always told her were so inconsequential now. Nothing would get in her way, her prize was clearly right in front of her...

"Nn! It's... It's not fair...!" Ruby cried with such attempt to remove the obvious dripping lust from her voice, but Cinder knew it would be impossible for her. Her body was already under Cinder's control, its every reaction plotted by her careful observations. She increased the pressure to her leg slightly, pushing at the same pace as she rolled her own needy sex up against Ruby's thigh, as well. She could feel her mound, only a thin dress and her underwear in the way, after all... Cinder still pinned her, she couldn't touch, she wanted to squeeze something... Her fingers clenched and unclenched, and slowly, but surely, her own hips began to match the languid pace, and suddenly, they seemed to be making love.

Her heart, her skin, her core... They all throbbed with the needy pulse of their mutual affections, and the butterflies in her stomach were unmistakable when a gentle kiss found her cheek.

She had to remember who this was on top of her. This wasn't just anyone, this was her Maiden, and even if she held all the control, Ruby knew that she could have whatever it was she wanted... But, perhaps now, there would be a price.

"Cinder... M-more, please," she found herself begging suddenly, she knew the only way to get her fill would be to appease the goddess currently toying with her body... She heard the light chuckle in response, felt the release of that knee grinding her groin, and Cinder's hands moved along to her shoulders. Her lips moved back to the girl's ear, and this time, she bit at her ear lobe, prompting Ruby's arms to coil around Cinder's back, and, now that she could touch, they slowly stroked at the muscles of her shoulders.

"You're mine," Cinder whispered to her, "and nobody can take that away." Her hand circled around Ruby's rose-shaped belt buckle, and unlatched it, and she gasped when she realized the full extent of the situation.

Cinder had every intention to take her completely, right here and now.

She had a choice; she could have stopped it, she could've protested at any point, she knew... and although she had, and Cinder had gone ahead anyway, she knew why and that Cinder had not truly intended her harm... No, the pain she'd felt, that intense heat... It was meant to draw a reaction. She knew she'd done the right thing, telling her to stop... She knew, she'd played right into Cinder's arousal, and now, as her belt was removed, there was no protest, for she knew there would be no stopping the lovely Maiden. She wanted to give everything to Cinder, give her what she wanted, she felt as though she were finally ready to try this activity... They'd only been near each other for a month and a half, but she no longer questioned Cinder's loyalty, and as those fingers dug into the waist line of her skirt, she blushed fully, her hands finding Cinder's wrists, gripping them, stopping her.

Cinder watched her carefully, the blushing Huntress had her eyes squeezed shut, but she slowly, carefully, and ever so gently pushed Cinder's hands down.

The Maiden slid that skirt over those dainty legs, low enough that Ruby wiggled it the rest of the way off, and lay before her, still resting atop that open corset, in nothing more than her loose shirt and her panties, a thin white pair with a rose right over her crotch. Cinder almost laughed to find out that she still themed even her undies, but she held it in, because instead, she got to see the full extent of every curvy part of that luscious lower body. Her first instinct saw her wrapping those hands around that cute little bum, and she squeezed Ruby's backside, she wrapped her arms around Cinder's shoulders, and gave her the perfect opportunity to pull her into her lap, sitting the girl up as she moved her to straddle her hips. Her neck was right before her face, now, so Cinder kissed it, and rolled her fingers slowly along that tight bottom...

Ruby was busy playing with her hair again. She leaned against her newfound lover, for surely what they were doing constituted that change of title, her hips reacting with every few squeezes by rolling gently against Cinder. The Maiden's lips showered kisses to her neck and her collarbones, and she sighed happily in response.

"You make me feel so... Warm," Ruby admitted in a gentle voice, letting Cinder keep playing with her ass as she was. Her hands were busy untying the bow of the lace at the back of her neck, if she was getting naked, so was Cinder. Of course, there was no protest to this. If Ruby wanted her clothes off, that's exactly what she'd get. Finally allowed some freedom, when Cinder had her fill of tasting Ruby's flesh, it was her turn, and she pressed a gentle flower-petal kiss to Cinder's lips, then her cheek... Her hands never stopped lacing through that silky, waving hair, but when Ruby's head dipped, and she chomped hard on Cinder's neck, the woman's fingers squeezed that bum hard enough that Ruby's hips involuntarily pressed up against her navel. The wet spot she felt pricking through her dress was very obvious to her. When the reaction was over, Ruby pushed her butt out, into those hands, and moaned softly against her neck. She bit down again, much harder than Cinder had ever done to her, and it made the Maiden shudder. When their eyes next met, Ruby's face was giving her that smiling, naughty look, the one that always turned her on... there was no going back for either of them now, it would seem. Ruby's face dropped back into one of pleasure, though, when she squeezed her again, pulling the girl tight against her.

Her Semblance flared again, and stung Ruby's bum with a burn, she squirmed until it went away again, trying not to make noises, trying to fight against it. Cinder grew ever more devious. Releasing one of those round cheeks, she brought her other hand to the back of Ruby's hair, and her hand fisted in it, pulling it back as she bared Ruby's neck. She bit her back, not gently, either, this time doing as she had and giving her a real bite, even as her burning on Ruby's backside increased. The squeal of pain she got excited her further, and she let her bite dissolve into a soft kiss, her heat fading, her fingertips slipping underneath the edge of those adorable panties, squeezing soft flesh... Ruby was a mess, by now, she collapsed against Cinder, panting and sweating, enduring the pain was taking its toll... Cinder wondered how much it would take to break her, to make her not enjoy it so much at all... When Ruby had regained her composure, the girl was tugging at her dress hungrily, pulling it upward, her hips exposed, the lacy black panties exposed underneath the hem of the thing as it was pulled up enough. She chuckled to herself, so needy, this one...

With a fluid motion, Cinder reached down, and removed her dress over her head, exposing all of her flesh save what was hidden behind her underthings, and she leaned back, Ruby still straddling her legs, and she crossed her own legs underneath her, and rested on her elbows, letting her take a good, long look. Ruby's eyes were trailing all over her body, while she watched with mild amusement, the Huntress was blushing so much... Her hands cautiously moved forward, and slid along Cinder's abs, the strong female had quite a nice, toned body, and she squeezed it, then slumped down against her and hugged her, arms wrapping around her waist as she snuggled up to that warm ball of flesh. Cinder frowned as she was treated like a plush toy, and instead, she reached around her lover and began to slide her own shirt up, but eventually, Ruby stopped her with both hands and a gasp just before she'd reached her chest.

"I-I'm not wearing anything under that," she admitted, usually it was her corset that kept those little ladies in check... Cinder smirked at her.

"I know," she said, having figured that one out pretty fairly long ago in their relationship; Ruby simply didn't wear bras, it was of no consequence to her... Ruby's hands fell away, tracing along Cinder's arms instead, to her elbows. She seemed not to dispute it again, and so finally, slowly, carefully, Cinder lifted her shirt over her head. When the fabric passed those perky little orbs, they gave a light bounce, and she tossed the shirt aside, only having gotten a brief look when Ruby covered herself with both arms. Such an embarrassed little kitten... Cinder would have to show her how it was done.

There was nothing to stop her from being comfortable in her own skin, and when she reached behind herself, unhooking that bra and letting the straps slide down her shoulders, she stopped just before the shells of the thing revealed her own body, and waited.

Ruby was staring at her chest hungrily, that curiosity playing in again, she wanted to see so badly... But it would mean exposing herself, using her arms to remove it. She tried to do it with one hand, but Cinder shifted ever so slightly each time she tried.

"Nnn..." Ruby shifted on top of her, and briefly froze, shuddering when this managed to brush their womanhoods right up against one another just for a second with the pressure it caused.

Cinder's lips parted slightly, and she tilted her head back in a silent moan, and Ruby had had enough. She had to see! Finally, she reached out and greedily ripped the bra from Cinder's chest, prompting a smug look of satisfaction from the Maiden as she lounged back, letting Ruby see everything, looking over the Huntress' lovely pale skin as her arms moved away. They stared at one another for a long moment, taking in the sights of each other's flesh. Cinder's rack was a bit bigger, but Ruby's were just lovely, Cinder admired their confined shape and the delicate upward turn of her nipples, Ruby simply wanted to squeeze what she saw, the luscious roundness that was practically in her face now causing her arousal to ramp excessively.

"You're beautiful," Ruby said to her, as she grinned with her victory, she'd managed to get Ruby into this position with relatively little complaint, she noticed, and they'd well passed the point of no return. Ruby was at a loss for what to do, so, taking the initiative back again, Cinder slid to sit up more, and then tugged her by her hip, other hand between her shoulders, until their skin was a mere inch apart. She decided to have fun with it, and ever so briefly leaned so their nipples touched one another's, and she gave a little shake back and forth, stimulating Ruby into a light groan of pleasure. She closed her eyes again, her fingers fluttering to her lips, the barest hint of another noise slipping from her mouth.

Cinder pressed their chests together, soft flesh meeting one another's, and she pulled Ruby tighter against her, squeezing their sets together so they both felt it, completely.

"Ah... Cinder!" Ruby's words dripped with absolute want, Cinder had won, and she savored the feeling for her efforts. Ruby's hands slid along her waist, now, and gingerly, like she were considering asking permission, she wrapped her fingers about Cinder's ass and gave an experimental squeeze. Her fingers sunk into the luscious curves, the warmth of every part of Cinder's body evident as she wiggled her rump on those hips again. This had the same effect as before, and, hitching Cinder's breath now, she gave a mock glare at Ruby. If she kept doing that, there wasn't going to be anything to stop her retribution...

Ruby gave her that ever so sexual face again when she'd noticed the reaction, and, taking back the small bit of freedom she had still, she slipped her hand between them, and played her fingers right over Cinder's folds. The Maiden nearly jumped when the sudden feeling assaulted her privates, and she went rigid, her hands squeezing tightly over Ruby's hip and shoulder.

"Oh, what's this...?" Ruby slipped her fingers up all the way from top to bottom, Cinder's body shivered, and as she brought up her fingers, they were wet...

"You're gushing," Ruby said affectionately, and popped those fingers into her mouth, licking clean her fluids, savoring their taste. This girl surely was naughty for pretending not to want things, Cinder thought, and she growled at her.

"I thought I didn't need to ask?" Ruby shot back playfully, and Cinder, in her annoyance, grabbed her hair again and pulled it harder this time, prompting a noise of displeasure from the Huntress. She let her breath roll against that neck, slowly moving her face up until Ruby could look downward to see her, and she hovered, watching, gazing at those parted lips, those deep silver eyes, almost with a look of disgust. Did she know who she was dealing with, or not?

"Cin-naaahahhh!" Her cry interrupted the woman's name when her other hand cupped Ruby's crotch firmly, her middle finger pushing right into her lips, through the fabric of her light undies. It slid back and forth, and Cinder squeezed her folds, now placing loving kisses along her neck. One of Ruby's hands wound back into the long fringe of Cinder's raven locks, the other wrapping around those powerful shoulders. Cinder didn't let up, she ran her hand over that dripping sweetness, pleasuring her little Huntress until the girl's hips began rolling of their own accord again out of sheer instinct. She savored the smell of her sweat dripping through the background of her room, the light hint of Ruby's fluids accompanying it as she stirred her core gently.

A moan of absolute ecstasy flooded Cinder's ear as she found the right spot, that tiny sensitive button... She pressed her finger right up to Ruby's clit and rolled it, prompting teeth to latch onto her shoulder and bite down to keep from howling in pleasure. Now that was what she'd wanted to hear... She let Ruby cool off a bit, playing with the fabric of the edge of her underwear now, teasing her like she were about to slip underneath it, though she didn't... Ruby was panting, sweating with the heat of the body so close to her, their breasts were slightly sticky with it, rubbing against one another's, and Cinder grinned to her when she opened one eye slightly. She almost giggled at how silly she must've seemed right now, but Ruby's lips instead twisted into a light smile of amusement.

"You look so turned on, Cinder," she whispered, which caused Cinder to reel a bit in denial. Oh, but she was, and it was evident... Very evident. To shut her up, of course, Cinder's fingers shoved hard up against her slit, and she arched her back, moaning for her Maiden. That was more like it.

Ruby let out a small 'eep' of surprise when she found herself suddenly tossed to the center of the bed, and a heavy body fell over her, once again pinned underneath the weight of another woman, her wrists placed together and pinned by a single hand, the other one groped over her flesh. It slid up her stomach, then back down, breezing over her crotch with gently applied nails, causing her to wriggle in anticipation, but they didn't find her again, instead traversing back up, and those fingers, strong and rough, found one of her lovely breasts, squeezing it as Cinder lowered her face. She latched her lips over that nipple and applied a hard and firm suction, dragging her name out of Ruby's lips again... Now came the real fun. She let the hand that pinned Ruby's wrists heat up again, and when Ruby realized what was going to happen next, she tried to voice concern, though it dwindled into gibberish as Cinder's teeth nipped at her, that tongue slid around the sensitive tip of her hardened nipple, and the pain flooded through her wrists at the same time as she was burned. Since it was only one hand holding her two, she struggled against it, rolling her wrists so that the pain didn't linger in one spot too long... Cinder had wanted this, though, because she was masterfully blending the pleasure with the pain, like a set of paints, she gauged the reaction she was looking for and adjusted her temperature appropriately. Too hot, and she got a scream, too cold, a moan, but she wanted that lovely middle ground...

When she switched breasts, lapping along Ruby's lovely flesh, flicking her tongue along that nipple, Ruby's hips arched against her, and she shifted her leg in between the other girl's again, pushing it hard up against her sex as she let her hand flare in fiery heat. Ruby cried out, somewhere in between a yelp of pain and a rolling groan...

"Aaaahhhnnn... Cinder," she pleaded, and Cinder added that name to her collection of Ruby's tones... It was perfect, laced so venomously with exasperation and desperation, so appropriately sexy...

Cinder could feel her own juices as a droplet rolled down her leg. She was getting needy, herself... But she wasn't finished playing with her toy. Ruby was immobilized again, and it only served to turn her on as she continued to be dominated by this lusty, busty bad girl. Cinder's lips found hers, and she decreased the burning just a bit, making Ruby occasionally whimper into the kiss as their tongues collided. She savored every noise this girl made, she'd noticed, they were so varied, so wonderful...

Ruby squirmed, unable to stop her when her hand went for the last piece of resistance, those lovely little flowery panties, and pulled them down her legs. Her legs squeezed shut, crossing each other and wrapping tightly around Cinder's thigh, making her unable to do it. Her fighting wasn't much appreciated, it was almost like she didn't want it... But it clicked to Cinder that this was what got Ruby off, to deny her something, only for Cinder to take it. It was never usually a vocal concern, always some small blockage here or there of one of her movements... Cinder was forced to release Ruby's arms, prying her legs open, yanking her undergarment from her body, looking thoroughly annoyed. Ruby laughed at her, but now, she was absolutely in to this, and she spread her legs when she was finally bare, letting Cinder gaze at her lovely folds as she ran a finger over her own navel.

"Like what you see?" Ruby asked in that naughty tone only she seemed capable of. Cinder's eye wandered her lovely body, and she reached out, fingers nearing between the girl's legs, but Ruby slapped her hand aside, and wagged a finger.

"Ah-ah-ah... Not until you make it even," she said, and then pointed at Cinder's own underthings, and she grumbled again in annoyance, getting laughed at once more. How was it Ruby could fluster her so readily? But, she gave the girl that devilish grin, and did exactly that. On her knees, she slipped them slowly over her curvy bottom, wriggling out of them slowly, pressing her thighs together to hide most of what Ruby might be able to see... Ruby watched in anticipation, and her own fingers fluttered gently over her sex, stimulating herself slowly as she watched.

Cinder wondered if strip-teases were something Ruby enjoyed, and so she made a show of it, swaying her hips and turning around, letting Ruby watch as she bent, those panties slowly leaving her legs... When she turned back around, Ruby was staring at her, and her fingers were rolling over herself, causing her to pant. She'd definitely liked that, but now, Cinder returned to her, and she grabbed her wrist. If anyone was going to touch her, it would be Cinder, and she removed Ruby's hand from herself, instead shifting between her legs, hands sliding along both of her thighs, until one came close enough that her thumb reached out, and she pressed it up against those lovely lips, rolling it in a circle against the Huntress. She slid closer, and placed a kiss right above her, on her stomach, Ruby's hands found her hair once more, a favored spot for moments like these.

"Cin...der..." she panted softly.

"Are you going to...?" she wondered to herself out loud, and Cinder smirked up at that one opened eye, she looked so cute there like that, barely able to keep her eyes open because of the feelings coursing through her inflamed veins. Oh yes, she was going to, and she did, her thumb moved aside, her next kiss fell right along those lovely lips, and then again, she breathed in the scent of Ruby's sex, and the Huntress, now silenced by the intimacy of the situation, could only let her head fall to the side, her breath ragged as she anticipated what came next. When she heard the wet sound of Cinder's mouth opening, her tongue coming out, she sighed softly, and when it found her, lapping gently along her womanhood, her fingers tugged at the hair they held, and she let out a soft, low moan... It was a long one, too, as Cinder drew it out by slipping her tongue between those folds and up against her most sensitive spot.

"Oh my... That feels so wonderful," she breathed, and pressed Cinder's head closer to her, as one hand left her hair to grasp the sheets. Her next moan was the loudest one yet, as her back arched, and Cinder's tongue penetrated her. She wasted no time, it seemed, and her hands continued to slide gently over Ruby's thighs, their heated warmth teasing her skin as she twisted her tongue against the entrance to her womanhood.

"Ahn, ohhh, Cinder, don't stop... Please don't...!" she begged, and Cinder had no real intention of doing so, though being asked to almost made it too tempting to leave her high and dry right in that moment... But, she felt that would be a bit too harsh, instead her eye slid closed as she worked, lapping lightly at her like a cat might a water bowl. Her taste was incredible, so light and sweet, and she enjoyed it with each and every thrust of her tongue twisting up inside of her Huntress. Ruby's hand wasn't idle, it slipped through her hair constantly, shifting fingertips gently along her scalp, even scratching at it a couple times, causing Cinder to shiver... She liked it when her hair was played with, oh, very much so, and her own need was building. In her arousal, she worked harder at pleasing the girl, her teeth found the girl's clit and gently rolled it between them, nibbling at her button, causing a spasm of her legs clenching around her head as she fought off a swift orgasm. Cinder was incredibly skilled, it would seem, and she wasn't going to hold out long...

When Cinder gave a haughty laugh as her tongue pressed and slid all along her, the chuckle vibrated her sensitively, and she convulsed into an orgasm, clenching her legs hard as she uttered her lover's name loudly, without concern for whom might have heard that outside of their confined space.

Out on the street, a familiar android perked up slightly as a name drifted passed her acute sensors, and she looked around.

"Ruby...?" she wondered idly, but, not seeing the woman, she shrugged, and continued along her way. It was her habit to constantly go for walks, inclosed spaces were far too boring and left her sensors too idle.

Back inside, though, Cinder was readily lapping at the warm fluids that spilled into her mouth, and she drank what she wanted to, licking the girl clean as she panted and twitched with her pleasure. When Cinder moved away, she licked her lips, and then wiped them, grinning down at the hot mess of a Huntress. She looked so perfect, there, fully bare and completely pleased, her breath sharply moving her chest to and fro, and out of sheer desire, Cinder's hands latched around those soft mounds, caressing her breasts and making her squirm in the afterglow of her recent release.

"S-so sensitive... Staaahp," she breathed, her voice lazy and a bit slurred due to her current state, her mind awash, unable to process much else. She felt like she were on a cloud, her head swimming, and eventually Cinder released her, and watched the girl as she cooled off once more. Her body felt so hot that the air, heated by Cinder's body over the course of these minutes, still felt cool to her, and she sat up, looking over to the woman whom had pleased her so. Her smile was so loving, Cinder felt her guts twist with the want to slap it from her face. But as she'd come to do, she instead accepted it, and smiled back.

Ruby moved to meet her, and when they kissed, suddenly, her heart fluttered, as Ruby's fingers had found her hip, and the hint of where they were going next hit her. Ruby wasn't one to deny a fair trade... She melted into the kiss, and slowly let Ruby take the upper hand, finally giving in to the girl whom had bested her in battle, the thought of it arousing her to her limit when she realized she was so willing to submit to this Huntress. Ruby kept their lips locked in a precious moment, breaking it and rekindling it from a different angle as she was so fond of doing, and Cinder's eye slid closed... Her petal-soft fingers found her sex, and Cinder made a small noise of pleasure into the kiss when they danced over her body. She parted her legs and spread them, and Ruby settled between them, pressing their breasts together as she sucked gently on Cinder's lower lip. The Huntress, it would seem, wanted to feel her, not taste her, for one delicate finger circled her entrance, and then prodded it, and she hissed softly and pulled away from the kiss, causing her lower lip to stretch slightly from where Ruby had been nibbling on it. That devilish, sexy face was looking at her again, Ruby's naughty face was very telling, Cinder knew how perverted her mind must really be.

So when that finger finally penetrated her, and the blush of lust spread over Ruby's face, she moaned for her, and the almost giddy chuckle that came from the Huntress had her slightly alarmed. Ruby buried that one finger all the way inside of her, and her walls squeezed in reaction, a shaking sigh pouring from Cinder's lips as Ruby wiggled her digit.

"I'm gunna make you do it," Ruby promised her, though what she was going to do, she wasn't sure... When Ruby's face buried between her breasts, nuzzling them both and kissing her chest, her finger worked deeply within Cinder's sex, and she rolled her hips for the girl. Ruby moved her mouth along the side of one of those lovely mounds and found her nipple, sucking hard on it and pulling back until it popped out of her mouth just as a second finger slipped inside of her, widening that gap, filling it. She choked down a moan, but Ruby was persistent, and began pumping those fingers through her hole, curling them up against her sensitive walls, tingling all the way up into her abdomen with the residual effects. Cinder panted for her, and Ruby's other hand found her other breast, forming a three-pronged assault on either of her breasts and her sex all at once.

She set a pace to the pumping of her fingers, and Cinder began to rock with it, bracing herself upright with one hand, the other finding Ruby's hair and returning the gentle pleasure of stroking the back of her scalp. Ruby moaned softly for the loving gesture, and as they coupled, she attacked with vigor, her tongue slathering Cinder's large, round nipple with techniques perfected from enjoying as much candy as she did. Cinder knew that if that mouth had been elsewhere, things might've been far, far quicker...

Ruby was searching her insides, she could tell, looking for that one spot that would send her into a wild fit of pleasure. She didn't give her any help, though, letting her find it on her own, instead loving the feeling every time the wider band of Ruby's middle knuckles created a pressure greater than the rest of her fingers. Perhaps out of frustration, Ruby began to pump them faster through her, and she gave another breathy moan, the Maiden's soft voice unable to produce too much for her, much to her own chagrin... She wished she could do it, to scream for her just the same, but for Ruby, she didn't mind one bit, instead delighting each time she brought any noise from those quiet lips, any at all and she was in heaven.

Pressing her thumb up to Cinder's clit, now, she suddenly curled her fingers into a new angle, and that was when she found it... A hard knot within her, and she pushed both fingers up against it, sliding either to the side around it, then pushing into it again. Cinder yelped so loudly that her voice went hoarse, and Ruby kept up her attention on her Maiden's chest, sucking at various places along her breasts, always coupled with attention from her other hand... She tweaked her nipple, or squeezed the orb hard, rolled her breast around, or pressed her fingers into her nipple firmly. The assault had Cinder twitching with her pleasures, minuscule movements, jerky and sudden as her legs threatened to squeeze around Ruby's legs. Eventually, though, they did, when Ruby adjusted her pumping to the location of her newfound button to press...

She slammed her fingers rather swiftly into Cinder's hot, pliable hole, the inner warmth something she could truly appreciate... This winter, neither of them were going to be cold, for sure... She was desperate, it would seem, to force Cinder to cum, and the stubborn woman fought it back, experienced enough to be able to hold out far longer than Ruby did. It build up slowly, from her wet lips, up her abdomen, to her stomach... Every inch of her lower body was on fire by the time she finally clenched up and broke over those lovely, soft fingers, drenching her palm...

"Ruuuuby," she uttered, the name spilling from her lips so perfectly it saw Ruby stopping her torture to smile as her fingers kept assaulting that overly sensitive spot now, and Cinder was a complete mess. She made a little noise each time her fingers kept pumping, a dull squeak that was barely audible now over the liquid sounds that her fingers were making as she rapidly pushed them into her lover's waiting sex.

She stretched her fingers apart when they were fully buried within her, filling more of her, pushing herself up against her lovely walls...

She bit one of Cinder's breasts hard, and shoved her fingers right up against her spot once more, activating a second orgasm, which caused Cinder to clutch the smaller girl tightly to her body, wrapping all the way around her. Ruby purred affectionately and nuzzled at her neck.

"Thaaaat's it... Let all that nasty stress out for me," she whispered to her, and brushed Cinder's hair back a few times as she came down, Ruby had left her fingers inside and shifted them gently every few seconds, really drawing it out for her. This devious little brat... She'd managed to make Cinder cum harder than she had probably ever had in her life! Her amber eye was shut completely, not wanting to look at somebody who could actually hold her own like this, right away... But slowly it opened, and as those fingers drew out from her, again, Ruby licked them clean, and then rested her elbows to either side of Cinder's body, resting her chin on her hands, just smiling at her sweetly.

"You're so hot when your face looks like that," Ruby told her, and she grimaced.

"Tch..." She was one to talk, Cinder thought.

"I really like it, Cin," she said softly, using her little pet name for her, and she reached out to brush the hair out of her sweating face, then lowered to kiss her chest just below her neck, looking up at her with those lovely eyes of hers... She couldn't look away, for that moment.

"I'm in love with you."

The statement caught her off guard, and Cinder froze, searching Ruby's face. It still held that same gentle, little smile... But inside, Cinder grew conflicted... What did she mean by that? Did she seek a deception again? Surely she couldn't mean that...

"It's okay... I know you probably don't feel so deeply yet, but... Well, I'm determined to make you feel the same way," she admitted, and Cinder watched her carefully. Good, she thought, Ruby hadn't expected anything, nor did she seem to care to get a response, instead, moving to kiss her. She could taste herself lightly on the girl's lips, but she felt her heart flutter again with how gentle she was, and maybe, she thought... Maybe she could love this silly, stupid girl, too?

The problem was... She never spoke of love. Love, she'd never known. In fact, the word's meaning and the feeling associated with it eluded her, she felt strange every time she was with Ruby alone like this, but... Could that really be all it was? That simple, deep contentedness?

Ruby curled up against her, and snuggled with her for awhile, though this was a far more active activity for Ruby than it was for Cinder. Instead, she simply stayed quiet, and still, letting her little Huntress nuzzle up against her whenever it so pleased her.

"Today was such a good day," Ruby whispered to her, and she nodded in agreement. She was happy that Ruby had let it all happen, they didn't know when they'd possibly get another chance like this to explore one another, and for their first time, it had been... Quite exceptional. Furthermore, it had felt so natural... Cinder, in her prime, had sexually dominated a few partners, Emerald included, but there was no affection there... She'd done it purely because she'd wanted to. It wasn't like this, where she'd actually given them the pleasure in return, had received a gift like that of a skilled Huntress' deft hands, toying with her... She rolled her legs together, feeling the residual ache of where Ruby's fingers had parted her only moments ago.

"I love you," she breathed again, and Cinder pet her hair as she pulled the girl's head onto her chest. She'd have to make an effort to stay alive, now, if she got hurt again, when Ruby was so attached to her like this... Well, she just wouldn't forgive herself for how Ruby surely would feel.

Such a naive girl, falling so easily for her, though... Did she even know the first thing about Cinder's past? No, her history was a complete mystery, but Ruby... For some reason, Ruby just seemed to know her. She could read her like a book, and perhaps, just maybe, it wasn't her past that mattered?

They rested there for an hour or so, occasionally toying with one another's bodies, a kiss placed here, or a gentle squeeze... Ruby had taken a great liking to her breasts, it would seem, she often used them as pillows anyway, but now it was definitely solidified, because she kept touching them. Cinder's fascination was more with that tight little bottom she got to look at, it curved so perfectly into her lovely legs... She also particularly liked Ruby's shoulders, so dainty and soft as they were, the collarbones placed so perfectly, defining her chest underneath.

After they were ready, they hopped into the shower together, where Ruby seemed fascinated by her tattoo, asking her about it. She mentioned it was the symbol of her family, but the Fall Clan, save for her, were completely extinct... Cinder didn't let the mood turn somber, though, instead making a joke of it by ringing out the long fringe of her hair over Ruby's head. They shared a few intimate kisses, helped each other wash one another, and lounged around, damp and nude, on the couch for a time.

When they'd finally decided to dress again, Cinder checked the time. Ruby had a couple hours until her late assignment with the rest of her team, and so she'd gone to the living room and rummaged through the videos they had available, until she'd found a movie she hadn't seen, and proposed it quietly to Ruby, slowly raising it up in front of her mouth.

It was one of her favorites, a movie about two lovers during a war, and so they put it on, cuddling up together in their mutual warmth.

When it was finally over, Ruby reluctantly left, leaving Cinder to deliberate on the day's antics. The memory of Ruby underneath her was clear in her mind, and it was good Ruby usually wore long clothing, because she had various red marks all over herself now... The one she couldn't get rid of, though, was the lip-marked burn on her throat, just under her jaw... So she hid it as best she could with her scarf. Yang still caught it though, and there had been a moment when the entire team teased her, but, all in good fun as it was, she eventually got them to stop.

Cinder spent the rest of the day sleeping, exhausted, Ruby had taken it out of her with their little escapade. Next time, she swore, she would get even more interesting noises out of that slim, sexy little thing...

Her dreams were filled with the usual death, however, and a sense of foreboding filled her heart... Something was not right, as she hadn't felt this way since the night of the storm, but whatever it was, she simply couldn't put her finger on it yet...

 **[Author's Note: Annnnd there we go, folks, if this doesn't solidify that they are indeed quite infatuated with one another, idfk what will. Haha! Also, how kinky, this Semblance~ it's really fun to write her use of it and sadistic nature into this scene. In fact, Cinder would be the first character I've ever written who's a sadist, marking this as a first for me. This is also the first intense girl/girl scene I've ever written about, so this chapter I felt really needed to be done, although initially I wasn't fully planning on a real lemon for you guys. Either way, I hope it was sexy enough (I know it probably was) but still held that intimacy that they're starting to really share. Also, I find Ruby's penchant for being super perverted randomly is equally hilarious and fun, which is why I pulled it from the show, though I think she only ever does it like once. Also I just realized that this is probably the longest chapter in the comic, and it's a sex scene. Did I over do it? Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...  
**

 **Next up, we'll find out what Neopolitan's been up to all this time...]**


	12. Ch 12: Everyone Screams for Ice Cream

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 12: Everyone Screams for Ice Cream**

The hand clutched the knife as it slowly dripped, a limp and a drag of a damaged leg carried its wielder to slump against the wall. Her demeanor was ragged, she breathed heavily, she wore rags; at her feet lie a body that she carelessly stepped over, her eyes burning, dead set on their victim. The feeling of flesh as it was rent apart, the spray of that glorious red...

"Cinder...?"

Her eyes opened with a start, and she looked around, felt gentle hands caress her face. Her head was in Ruby's lap, it was morning... Her short term memories came back to her, and she slowly calmed, staring up at those gentle, silver eyes. The evening before played through her mind, their intimate encounter solidifying where she was now in her mind.

"You have them too," Ruby stated idly, probably talking about the fact she'd been having another nightmare... Normally they didn't make her react physically, from what she could tell, but this one had been a memory from her past, and those were always the worst... Because she remembered every aching second, every feeling and detail. She sat up, and rubbed at her eye, then looked over at Ruby. Cinder hadn't slept well, she could tell, and, concerned, she let her hand come out to touch the other girl's fleetingly, hoping to help.

"Ruby," Cinder questioned, slowly and softly as usual, but she leaned closer. Her voice dropped low, into a whisper.

"Have you ever had to kill someone?" she asked, in a serious tone, and Ruby gasped softly. But she shook her head slowly, side to side, things had never worked out in such a way where she'd found it necessary to do so herself. Granted, Qrow had killed Salem, a few others, too, her friends... Jaune had killed Mercury, surprisingly, but it was a warrior's death... Emerald, well, she had technically killed herself, though she was defeated by Nora. The members of Team RWBY, however, had been dealing with the biggest Grimm... And getting Qrow close to Salem. This, of course, had involved Cinder, and Ruby... No, she hadn't felt a need to kill Cinder at all. That was exactly why she was sitting here. Cinder and her crew had in fact been her first real trial as a Hunstman... Everything else was still left in the future.

When it hit her why she was asking, Ruby's hand gripped hers tightly.

"Not unless I need to," she said, Cinder had figured that was how she'd felt. But Ruby's mind filtered back to the nightmares, and she scooted over to her lover on the bed, the morning sunlight illuminating her shining frame as she worked her way passed the shadows of the window sill.

She put her hands in her lap, sitting on her legs, and Cinder would have smiled at her, save for the look on her face, that curious expression of wanting to know. It was the tell tale sign that Ruby had a question, so she stayed still, and Ruby leaned closer. True to form, and not really concerned with stepping on toes beforehand so much as apologizing later, she asked her question.

"How many people have you killed, Cinder?" she asked, dropping it like a ton of bricks into her lap, no real regard for her feelings behind the matter. A personal question if any, Cinder's frown bent out of place and her eye twitched.

"Seriously?" she yelped, probably one of the loudest words Ruby had heard her speak since the accident, and with it she expended her speech for awhile.

Ruby nodded.

"I know it might hurt to talk about it, but... Well, unless you do, how will you ever change how you feel about it?" she inquired, and her concern, so plastered on her face, made Cinder sigh. Perhaps she was right. Not only that, but her experiences would be good for Ruby to know, in case she ever had to make the choice...

When it came to Pyrrha, there hadn't even been a choice or hesitation, but how she had gotten to that point was a tale in and of itself. To kill so mercilessly, without a second thought? It certainly was rude to the senses, it wasn't a wonder that this girl with her latent powers had shot them off so recklessly the first time she'd witnessed death. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if perhaps Ruby's abilities were the type she should be training with, but she was sure that Qrow would've been hanging around a whole lot more if that were the case. A blessing in disguise, perhaps, considering her distaste for the man.

Cinder picked herself up and closed the rest of the distance between them, returning to where she'd been when she'd awoken, that happy spot to see her Rose above her, washing it all away... It was quiet in here, nothing but the birds chirping outside to disturb them... But that didn't stop the looming feeling in her heart, that loose end she'd been wanting so badly to remove...

"The first time I killed someone," she whispered, trying not to be too quiet, "I was young. A girl."

She told the short tale, leaving out most of the details, unimportant as they were to Ruby. She had been an orphan, out in Haven, she'd finally lost her mother to disease, and was living all alone... Their house eventually got repossessed, and they threw her out on the streets, simple as that. The streets were a tough place, and once, in self defense, she'd had to stab a man trying to take her away, to who knows where... She never truly felt anything for that man, but it also wasn't the last time she would take a life. Eventually, when her Semblance had come to her, she used it to her upper hand, joining a gang, becoming their resident pyrotechnician... But of course, the life was rough, the people out there were different than here in Vale...

When she'd grown sick of burning towns for gain, they hadn't let her leave. She'd left voluntarily, however, after destroying each and every one of the weak little thugs that stood in her way. This was, of course, after she'd been beaten and thrown in a cage for four days, but... They say misery loves company, so she'd eventually had more than enough to give out that day.

"I don't want to tell you what it's like to take a life," Cinder said in that sluggish pace common when she used longer sentences.

"I hope you never have to start."

After a brief moment of just enjoying being with one another, they'd decided it was time to start the day, so Cinder changed into fresh winter gear, but this time, when she'd dressed, she found Ruby in the kitchen and had slipped up behind her. Her fingers moved gently over Ruby's shoulders, and she stopped what she was doing for a moment, letting them relax her. They dipped under her cloak, and then lifted it off of her head. She blinked, and turned, Cinder was already wearing it, and she grimaced.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, the devious little smile on Cinder's face looking so smug from under the red of her own hood.

"Accessorizing," she responded quietly, and then turned on her heel and left. It took Ruby twenty more minutes of digging through her laundry to locate her back up, the old cloak she used to wear back in her Beacon days. So she put that on, and ran out the door, she had some catching up to do.

Their mission today was simple this early, just as it usually was for the one-man assignments, a scouting mission to the west in the territories that still lie overrun, the path of the Storm Bat drew them in with that strange pull from Beacon Tower, the attractions had funneled together to form a veritable stampede of Grimm that had been staved off by the military's full power. To get there, they'd be going through Beacon, in it's destroyed state and coated in snow as it was, it would be dangerous to say the least. She had confidence though, and she placed a hand over the scar on her shoulder, that thick sun-shaped patch of darkened skin. Ruby never seemed to like it, for while she played with the scar on her face, the one she'd caused, she almost never touched the one on her shoulder. Idly, as she walked through the trees, not bothering to wait up for the fastest Huntress alive, she mulled over this strange behavior of Ruby's, but a rustle drew her attention, and her eyes lifted. It was Ren whom happened to cross her path today, and he stopped to give her a wave.

The exotic man had been more or less introduced to her by Ruby, and, as quiet as he was, they had gotten along just fine. He had a sense of understanding that surpassed every other person Ruby had probably introduced her to, so he served as the counterbalance to Jaune's hatred of her some times when they were forced to be near one another. Ren, being Jaune's best friend more or less, often could sit between the two of them and act as a barrier.

"Lie," she greeted as she stalked over, and he nodded to her in greetings as well.

"Didn't expect they'd send the solo scout to cross the forward for a Team. Ruby's on her way, I presume?" he asked, and she nodded. Considering the cloak she was wearing, it wasn't exactly hard to guess that they had seen each other just a bit ago.

"Liking the new look," he commented, and she gave him a devious grin. Today was the day she'd finally stolen Ruby's cloak, it was somewhat of an inside joke between them, Ren had been one of the only people to notice that much of Cinder's clothing had come directly from Ruby's wardrobe. He liked to poke fun at her for it, and now wore a bemused face when Ruby, panting with exertion, caught up with them.

"Give that... Back...!" she said, and plowed into Cinder, who grasped her arms and kept her flailing from reaching the hood. Nope, it was hers today, and eventually, tired and defeated, Ruby groaned and crossed her arms. Cinder was a jerk.

"Good morning, Miss Rose," Ren greeted, and gave a small bow, to which she curtsied in return, and chuckled. Ruby wasn't one for politeness, but she was often caught mocking Weiss, who's penchant for the regal was well known in their friend circle.

"What's Team JRNY doing here? I thought this was Cinder's mission?" Ruby wondered, and Ren gave her a quizzical look.

"It would seem that we are doing a cross-inspection of Beacon today. Judging by Cinder's direction, she was headed perpendicular to my path, to the opposite corner we were assigned to. Fortunate that we would meet like this, it will be good to know you two are in the area. Good bye, and good luck." And with that, he was gone, never one to say more than he needed to.

They exchanged glances, and off they went toward Beacon's looming tower, the trees now lay twisted and bare from winter's wrath. The trip turned nostalgic for the both of them the moment they entered Beacon's wide grounds, for just above them the statuesque figure of the Grimm Dragon perched frozen overhead. The whole place seemed far more quiet than they'd expected, which put both of them on guard, and Cinder knocked an arrow.

Two drops of blood in the snow, they stepped forward along the promenade, the crunch of their footsteps and the blowing winds all they could hear as their eyes constantly scanned about them. The whole place was eerie to say the least, and just beyond the edge of the trees, they heard the gunfire of Ren's pistols as he dispatched something. He didn't seem to need their help, but it was a good way to know that there indeed were Grimm around.

The first one they encountered reared its ugly, snake-like body as they approached the main office building, it slithered through a window, leaving a trail of thick black sludge. The noise it gave didn't seem to fit the animal it portrayed, a high-pitched whine as it shot directly for them. Cinder's arrow hit it right in the eye, and it lashed about like a fire hose on full blast, slapping into a pillar. The stone cracked and fragmented, and Ruby was forced to roll out of the way while Cinder fired again, putting it down for good. Not so tough, they supposed, but it had both of them on their toes, and they slowly crept further in to the complex. They circled around the west wing, since their destination lie beyond it, and inside the halls they found the remnants of the disaster that had occurred here.

Dried blood seemed smeared various places along the walls from those whom hadn't made it out that day, everywhere, black ichor dripped. The residue left by the dead Grimm was thick and everlasting, the only way it went away is if it was removed manually, and nobody had been back here to do such a task since.

The area was relatively clear, with only the usual few lurkers. Odd, considering where they were, but it wasn't so much the current presence of the Grimm as the fact they did indeed consistently return here, rendering any efforts dangerous, since Grimm could show up at any time. They could hear somewhere nearby the sounds of Nora's booming grenades, off in the distance, and they stepped through a broken window to the other side of Beacon. Out in the forest, many Grimm shifted the leaves, and they exchanged a glance again, it would be better to find an alternate way to their goal. They decided to scale to the roof of one of the classrooms, to get a better look.

The forest before them was absolutely teeming with dark life, the lurching, shadowed bodies and obvious packs of smaller creatures evident everywhere as they looked out over the expanse. On the other side of the trees, a clearing for a graveyard, their target today. Those families whom had loved ones buried there were wont to know if their graves were safe. No thin task, considering. Cinder didn't care much for these sorts of things, but she knew Ruby indeed had a respect for the departed, so there would be no backing out of this, even if it was dangerous.

They decided to skirt around to the left side, where there were rock outcroppings and other places to avoid the enemy. Their emotions were on guard, even though they had just passed through Beacon, they didn't expect to linger here for fear of it bringing back too many memories. They were off soon enough, and moved through the trees at a languid pace, with each movement making sure nothing was lurking nearby, careful, but quick. The Grimm could tell that something was amiss, and they roiled about now, the presence of the people nearby driving them to search for prey. But the two kept still when the Grimm would near, letting them sniff it out, moving passed... And they would slip around, these Grimm weren't the smarter type, drawn here by the Tower's latent power.

When they'd passed the main herd that bordered Beacon, they moved toward the graveyard clearing, their path taking them into another set of Grimm, which they engaged from a distance. Cinder's bow was silent as she fired at three of the Beowolves, and though the first two went down smoothly and the third charged them, it was taken down post-haste by a cleave from that lovely scythe. The noise from the blade drew the attention of the others, and in a moment it had become a brawl. Another snake, like the one before, slithered at them, twisting through the gravestones. A pack of wolves drawn from the forest to their right closed in, and two boar-like Grimm somewhere in the mix trampled their way in. Ruby held them back while Cinder kept firing, but there were quite a few, and they were forced to dodge many blows, unable to attack in the wake of this many assailants. It was the snake that kept them on their toes the most, it's darting, quick attacks came at random among the wolves trying to hunt them down.

Cinder broke apart her bow, the two daggers serving her as she suddenly fought back, cutting into the pack as they charged her. She slashed at one Beowolf, and then another, they hit the ground and died where they lay. Ruby was with her, and swung her scythe wide, it dispatched the other two, and the snake wound closer through the trees. They were charged again by the remaining Grimm, and just as they were about to do away with the remainder, a loud explosion sounded off in the direction of Team JRNY, accompanied by a cry from what sounded like Nora. Cinder was forced to call on her Maiden powers, torching the forest in front of her, when Ruby's concentration broke. She flung hot fire at the other Grimm, using the shape of her daggers like a sling to hurl them and push the Grimm back. They didn't like fire very much, usually...

"Ren!" Ruby shouted, and in a burst of petals, was gone, leaving Cinder with a wide eye to fend for herself. Damnit, that stubborn ingrate, she thought as she lept over her flames, plowing both daggers square into the head of the snake which had reeled back from the fire. She rode the big thing to the ground, letting it dissolve around her blades as she crouched, then suddenly felt it...

That eerie presence, just passed the feeling of the Grimm around her, lurking somewhere in the shadows. It pulsed in her head... She glanced sidelong through the trees, and she saw her standing there, that lavish dress so lacy and white, that hair, so pink and brown...

"Neopolitan," she gasped, but her concentration broke as she was charged by those tusks, and she dispatched the Grimm they belonged to with a parry and riposte. When she looked back to where Neopolitan had been, she was gone, and in a second she burst forth, seeking to chase her down. This ended now, this little thorn in her side had been plaguing her for some time. Neopolitan had likely caused the distraction for Ruby, no doubt she wouldn't have appeared with the other girl still by her side. She heard a lilting, tiny laugh float through the trees, and she followed that now, rushing past the trunks and hopping the brush. With determination she skirted the graveyard, and deeper into the forest, she stepped out of it and to the bank of a river, looking first left, then right... Where could she have gone? The only thing here was the wind and the snow, the carefully trickling river through the patches of ice that blotched its surface.

A burst of air behind her roiled her hair and lifted the hem of her dress, the violent gust causing her eye to widen.

A blade found her, just under her ribs, and it dug in... Her lips parted, but she didn't gasp again, it twisted within her, but there was something else... She'd been stabbed before, but this... This felt completely new to her.

Something seared through her veins, and made her cry out in a hoarse noise of pain as she fell to her knees, clutching her side. It had felt like an injection, something poured into her... The wound was on her back right side, and she was surprised it hadn't pierced her lungs judging by the angle of the stab. She breathed heavily, so blindsided by the attack that she hadn't even had time to use her aura to deflect it, and as she fell forward, she felt the cold metal slide out of her flesh.

But the wound didn't feel empty. Her vision was growing hazy, but it was clear before her that boots were finding the rocky shore of the trickling stream, and she looked at them, black and white, gazing up at their owner as her vision threatened to break entirely.

"Poor, poor Cinder, adrift in the ocean of regret," Neopolitan said to her, and lifted one of those boots, tamping it down on the back of her head, pressing her face to the dirt and the pebbles. She was gasping, still, her breathing becoming more and more labored. Something inside of her was stirring, her wound writhed, it oozed something liquid down her side... She twisted her eye as much as she could, her black dress was leaking a liquid of the same color...

"I wonder... Where is your precious Ruby Rose now?"

"W...What...?" Cinder breathed, catching sight of brown boots and black pants, she could hear more footsteps... Bright colors of fabric assaulted her vision as somebody picked her up, and finally, she slipped from consciousness.

Elsewhere, Ruby had arrived on the scene of a battle, Nora and Ren were engaging a rather large beast, it resembled an elephant, with tusks long and twisted, dripping fresh blood off of one of them... Ren was clutching his side, and Nora had dragged him behind a tree, and was firing with everything she had to keep the thing at bay. Ruby cocked the hammer on her rifle, and opened fire, pelting it from the side where she was perched in a tree, drawing its annoyance as it bellowed at her. The distraction was more than enough for Nora, who converted to her hammer, and lept on the thing that had dared hurt her friend. She went to town, slamming its head side to side twice, before spinning around and bringing it upward under its chin. She continued her assault after jumping on top of it's body, pounding on it until it sank into a puddle and dissolved. She looked disheveled, and angry, but Ruby called her attention back to the wounded Ren.

"Jaune, he..." was all the man managed to say, fading from consciousness as his blood leaked free.

"Nora, what happened?" she questioned, and the red-haired girl picked up her childhood friend in her arms, her tears not enough to say how she felt.

"I don't know, one moment we were walking, and the next that thing just came out of nowhere... It got Ren, Jaune and Yoru got separated by more Grimm... Go find them, Ruby!" And with that she was gone, she had to get Ren out of here or he could lose his life, and Ruby understood. It was a good thing she'd tagged along with Cinder today... She hoped Cinder was all right, but she had to find Jaune. She searched the immediate area in the direction that the beast had come from, but to no avail, it seemed like the pair had moved on. When she finally did find them, they were well out of the range of their mission zone, more toward Cinder's graveyard, and they had just been finishing off the Grimm they were fighting when she arrived. Sauntering from the woods, she looked over the scene, Yoru was holding a Grimm by it's nose as he delivered a downward elbow to the top of its head, and it hit the ground hard, defeated. Oddly, she noted, Jaune had his weapons drawn, but Yoru did not. He looked over to her with a cocky grin.

"Sup?" Yoru asked her as she approached, and she grabbed Jaune's shoulder and spun him.

"Jaune! What the heck is this? Ren's wounded and you split your team in two!"

"Ruby!" he chipped back, and frowned.

"Ren got hurt...? Dang it... We came this way to let them deal with that big one when Yoru spotted all these guys over here. It was either that or try to get back around that thing." Ruby was clearly upset, however, and Jaune rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh... I messed up, didn't I?" he wondered aloud, as if her face didn't already say it.

"We had the same classes at Beacon, Jaune, you KNOW that you aren't supposed to split the team with large Grimm around!" She slapped a hand against his breast plate, and the man sighed and glanced to his newest partner, who shrugged at him.

"All right, well, Nora's handling it, yeah? Damn it... We'd better call off the mission. Hey, Ren said you were out here with Cinder... Where'd she go?" Ruby perked up slightly, realizing she'd better be getting back to the woman... She was sure Cinder wouldn't have been hurt by those Grimm, but it was best to check on her. She told them the direction Nora had gone, and was off again, her Semblance taking her far as she zipped back toward the graveyard.

When she arrived, there were no Grimm, the place was quiet, eerily so, and she stepped through the graveyard, looking around.

"Cinder?" she called, an ominous wind blowing through the trees...

Cinder's mind spun in this ocean of darkness. She could hear words, they sounded like Neopolitan's small, girlish voice... Urging her to give in, they called to her, whispers of that which plagued her. Somewhere inside of her, they said, the darkness still loomed. They warned her, warned her... The words so very delicate and far off.

"Let's see if you've sunken, oh lovely ship, off into the waters... It's time to wake up, Cinder."

Ruby grew frantic in her search when the initial graveyard turned up nothing. Her worry brought on Grimm, which she cut down swiftly, moving as fast as she could, until she came across the river. Something told her to look here, as well, but she noticed nothing, at least, until she walked to the edge of the water. At her feet was a puddle of black sludge, and she picked up her foot as she'd stepped in it, face twisting in disgust.

It formed a trail off into the forest. Naturally, she followed it, it was the only clue she had. But the scene she happened upon was not one she would've ever liked to come across, nor was it one she would ever forget.

She found Cinder draped across a rock, she'd been attempting to crawl up it, it seemed, and all along the rock black ichor spilled from a clearly large hole in her back.

"Cinder!" she called to the woman, but there was no answer, and she ran closer. Her hair obscured her face, her fingers were coated in that sludge, it was everywhere...

When she pulled the woman over, rolling her to see her face, the look of horror spread over her features as she beheld the gruesome fate of her lover.

Her eyes were completely black, her eye-patch had been removed, they were leaking, dribbling that stuff down her face. It poured from her mouth, she was gasping for breath as it oozed from her lips. Uncaring as the stuff got all over her arms, Ruby bent the woman onto her hands and knees, doing everything she could to attempt to clear her breathing. She squeezed her midriff, patted her back, and all the while Cinder lay sputtering, coughing, choking up the thick sludge.

"Oh no, please, please," Ruby was pleading, crying, but to no avail, there was no stopping whatever was happening now. The darkness poured from her wound, growing into a pool below her body. It built and built, and slowly enveloped her, the gooey blob taking a strange shape as her body was consumed. With a face of sheer horror, Ruby did reel back, as the creature turned a grim visage her way, and let out a gurgling noise... it looked like a strange animal, but somewhere under its chest, she could see Cinder's sinking face, until she was finally gone. Tears poured from her eyes as she watched, helpless, the Maiden consumed, she felt just like she had seeing Pyrrha waste away...

The creature stared at her with glowing red eyes, as slowly, its liquid-like surface shifted, changed colors near the face... It looked like a Grimm, now, with white and red, but nothing was solid at all. And as it moved its ursine body toward her, it changed, the muck slopped loudly along the ground as it sloshed at her, warping as it went. Now like a shark, now like a bear, now like a large bovine... It was shaped and yet so shapeless, and it let out an inhuman screech as it came for her... She had no idea what to do. If she attacked it, would she harm Cinder? What if this thing now technically was Cinder? She used her Semblance to keep away from it, her blurry vision making it hard to miss the trees as she moved through them.

The strange creature gained on her, and in her state, she could only flee. As her emotions drew more Grimm, she drew back toward Team JRNY, running away, to her friends, the only people she could think to escape to. When she'd tracked them down, her aura nearly depleted from use of her abilities to speed herself up, she collapsed to her knees before Jaune, sputtering and crying, a complete mess. She looked worse than Nora had, and Jaune and Yoru glanced at one another.

They took Ruby to the Huntsman's makeshift headquarters to attempt to calm her down and figure out what happened. It was Professor Goodwitch and Uncle Qrow who conducted the investigation. They were just as confused as she was, they'd never heard of anything like it before. But seeing as how that creature was out there, Cinder somewhere stuck inside of it, they hadn't really much to go off of. The decision was made to capture it, and Qrow was dispatched with a team designed to do just that, Ruby forced to wait in her misery once more.

It hadn't gone far from where she'd said she'd seen it last, and before long they had the weird creature in custody, though the cage leaked everywhere they took it, leaving a fine trail of black ooze. It was noted that it's liquid form constantly moved passed the metal, it seemed to be surrounding Cinder's body, which was the only thing incapable of falling through the cage. Nobody knew if she were still alive.

They had it suspended up out front of Beacon when Ruby had finally been called to the scene, and as she watched the monster writhe about in it's cage, unable to take a true form, she looked over her with mental anguish, glancing at Qrow.

"Never seen anything like this, kid," he admitted to her, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Seems to me like little miss darkness was a whole lot darker than you gave her credit for." It pained him to see her so hurt, he'd known that this had been such a bad idea, but he hadn't stopped their relationship from developing anyway... And now look where they were...

They left the creature caged there for further study later, but Ruby stayed by it all night, long after everyone else had left. Qrow was the last one to leave before her, cautioning her not to stay out so late, but it was no use. If he'd tried to remove her from the scene, he was sure she'd have chewed off his eyebrows.

"Oh, Cinder," Ruby lamented as she watched the thing, it sniffed at the air as it changed, first from an alligator, to a boar, to a bear again.

But slowly, the form grew more contained, as the hours went on, and it sank back, dissipating... There came a groan from the cage. She'd got up from where she'd nearly fallen asleep against a tree, ran over as fast as she could... Her fingers clutched the grating of the cage as Cinder's body was revealed again. She awoke, and Ruby began to cry again, Cinder looked so confused... She looked around and sat up, moaning... She couldn't remember anything, just...

"Neopolitan," she said, and Ruby perked up at that.

"Cinder, what happened to you?" she wondered, and the girl looked around herself. Why was she in a cage? She touched her eye, her eye-patch was gone, the hole where it had been burned out now evident instead. She just hoped Ruby didn't find it too much to look at...

"Where...?" They were still near Beacon, she could hear the Grimm just in the distance as they howled at the moon. It was dark now, but the moonlight lit everything with it's broken glow.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said as Cinder clutched at the cage. She supposed she should let her out, but the moment her hand went to find the lock, she realized she hadn't the key. Qrow had taken it with him. She pulled out her Scroll and dialed her Uncle, told him what happened. He was back in a heartbeat, bottle of whiskey in hand, because what he saw next, he just didn't know what to make of. So he took two healthy swigs.

"So you're tellin' me," he said, "she just up and went back to normal?" His red eyes watched his niece in the moonlight as the girl nodded to him. Cinder didn't say anything, she'd backed into the corner of her cage and curled up with her knees under her chin, obviously upset. Ruby explained she'd seen a wound on Cinder's back, but Cinder remembered nothing, just Neo's voice, and then darkness, everywhere... But she had no wound anymore, and the black ichor that had dripped below and onto the ground remained the only bit of evidence they still had that the whole thing had been real. He let Cinder out of the cage, finally, and she seemed exhausted... Whatever had happened had really taken it out of her. She could barely speak. When she'd stood up, she'd said she felt sick, and immediately vomited... There was blood in her excretions, neither of them were ready to let her out of their sight, so they took her home to rest, feeling that it was probably best not to take her back to the hospital for a third time, else somebody might come snooping. For all they could tell, whatever had happened was over, or so they hoped...

Ruby held Cinder as she fell asleep in her own bed, Qrow passed out on the couch when the whiskey had built up enough in his system. But when the house was quiet, and Ruby too dozed where she held on to Cinder's head, something again was happening... asleep, it leaked from her mouth, and her eyes... Slow, black, that liquid oozed out of Cinder and onto the bed... But it didn't stop there. It flowed freely onto the floor, as she dreamed, pooling underneath the bed... By the morning, it was gone, and neither of them noticed anything out of the ordinary as they awoke, felt no wetness, saw none of the stuff. The apartment was quiet, and everything seemed ordinary.

But Cinder knew it wasn't, for deep within her she felt it, that sickness, that dark, chaotic plague... She knew Neopolitan had done something, and the dread that filled her heart wouldn't be short-lived. When she awoke in Ruby's arms, she tried to push off the feeling of foreboding, snuggling against her lover, whom gave her a warm purr and hugged her in. She felt safe, but... Lurking in the shadow of her heart, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right in the slightest...

The first hint that something was still very wrong came as early as their next mission. Cinder had been doing fine, so it seemed, they had been tasked to attack a small nest of Grimm before it built up too heavily to be hunted by a four-man team, but during the ensuing extermination, Cinder had collapsed. Ruby had pulled up along side her, asking what was wrong, but Cinder claimed not to know.

Her head was throbbing, her ears rang... Deep inside herself it was like something was churning, she'd become ill again, threw up onto the cold snow, leaving Ruby to fend off the remaining Grimm while she recovered from the episode, unable to do much more besides fall to her knees. They would get worse, too, and every time she was around the Grimm, she seemed to become more ill, until ultimately they had to call off the mission. By the time they got back home, Cinder was a mess; she had a heavy fever, she looked pale, and since her eye-patch was missing she'd taken to wearing a bandana up and around her head to cover the hole in her face, but it was drenched in sweat now, and as she lay on the couch, Ruby could only fetch her a cold rag and drape it over her forehead. She removed the woman's bandana, letting her rest with a gentle kiss to the forehead. But her worry knew no bounds. She had never seen anything like it, and she remembered that face, that screaming, drowning face as the black stuff spewed from every orifice... Cinder's fever, when she checked it, was off the charts. She was well out of any normal zone for the heat in her body, even if it was higher than normal by itself, she was radiating heat so intensely that it could be felt a full five feet from her.

The only thing Ruby could think to do was summon Qrow again. When Qrow showed up, Oobleck was with him. The Professor examined Cinder carefully, looking inside of her eyes, her mouth, her ears, but he drew no conclusions. Whatever it was, it seemed, had been related to the odd fluids that had leaked out of her that day, turned her into a monster.

"Whatever happened to her, we can't help until we get more information," Oobleck had noted, and Ruby finally spoke up.

"She mentioned something about Neopolitan," Ruby said, and the man adjusted his glasses.

"Yes, of course... She's evaded capture for months, now, it is entirely possible she had something to do with this." They all looked at Cinder, who was barely hanging on to consciousness, now, mumbling about brown boots and rainbows. They couldn't make any sense of it, but one thing did pass her lips that they all found pertinent. Neopolitan's name. They grew certain she'd had a hand in this. The second time Cinder uttered the name, Qrow grew agitated, and left, claiming he was going to search for the loose end of a woman. Oobleck advised her to keep Cinder cool, until he could return with his equipment, and left as well, leaving Ruby to watch over the ill Maiden. She moved underneath Cinder, letting her head rest on her lap, her fingers sliding through the silky hair as she kept it out of her sweating face. Cinder looked troubled, and she wouldn't stop mumbling, and Ruby's heart nearly broke when at one point she regained enough composure to look up at her lover, that yellow eye strained...

"Ruby," was all she'd said as she looked at her, and reached a hand out to her... Ruby took it, and her sad expression held that gaze until it slid closed once more. But before she'd noticed, Cinder seemed to have passed out, and in her unconscious state, she calmed, Ruby's worry dwindling slightly as she waited for Oobleck's return. But the Maiden, asleep on her lap as she was, began to seem troubled once more, and twitched in agitation, jumping slightly. A nightmare, Ruby noted, frowning, her hand running the damp cloth over Cinder's forehead to keep her cool.

But the nightmare seemed to grow worse, as Cinder began to toss and turn, Ruby tried to hold her still, but eventually, her back arched, and she gasped heavily, before a loud cough broke her breath in half. That same thick, disgusting ichor poured out from her mouth and into her own nose, rolling down her face in heavy, copious amounts. Her eye was closed, but the hole of her missing one was leaking the stuff, and it seeped out from under the closed eyelid as well, coating her face. Ruby lost her cool, subjected suddenly to this for the second time, and she panicked, trying to wipe it from Cinder's face with thin fingers, it spilled everywhere, on her clothes... She couldn't operate her Scroll because of it, anything she touched smeared with black, she couldn't see the screen... Without any other course of action, she moved Cinder to the bathtub, where she sputtered and leaked into the drain. Ruby turned on the faucet, and put her head underneath, constantly washing the stuff away from her body. Last she remembered, if it built up, she'd become a monster again...

The water cooled her, and soothed her, and eventually, she woke up, hacking the rest of the thick substance from her lungs as she coiled herself into a ball in the thin layer of blackened water she now lay in. Ruby had stayed by her side the whole time, and when it finally stopped again, relief washed over her. Whatever this was, it came in waves... Cinder was utterly upset. When the water in the tub had finally become clear again, Ruby turned off the water and helped her sit up, she clung to her wet frame with a loving hug.

"I don't know what's going on," she said, "but I'm not going to leave you until we fix it." Cinder was shaking, she felt so cold due to the fever, she clung to Ruby's dry warmth as best she could from her spot in the tub. They dried her off and moved her to her bed, where Ruby could keep a better eye on her. Oobleck finally returned with a greater suite of instruments to perform tests on her, and Ruby mentioned to him the episode she'd just had, he commended her on her quick thinking.

The results of his tests were mostly inconclusive, but they did bring up interesting facts. Her aura, for example, had been highly disrupted, and was regenerating far slower than it normally would, and on top of that, her emotional scale had tipped well passed the point of attracting Grimm, even though she claimed she felt normal emotionally, save for being shaken up by the whole ordeal. Oobleck recommended she not go near any Grimm any time soon, or else she would act as a beacon for them, drawing them right to her. The news had Ruby so very worried, she'd had to contact Yang to tell her everything. Yang told her to keep an eye out for Cinder, and that they could handle things for the team without her for the time being.

Confined to their quarters, Ruby didn't sleep that night, instead she kept a watchful eye over Cinder. She had to repeat that horrendous process again, placing her in the tub when she'd awoken in the middle of the night to another fit of the black ichor plague. It was getting worse, she'd noticed some of it begin to leak out of Cinder's ears, and her heart had sunken to a low depth as she helplessly watched her lover suffer. All of her attentions, however, seemed to pay off in the respect that Cinder didn't return to that strange creature's form, though after each fit of coughing up blackness, Cinder's eyes pleaded for relief. When she was finished with the fit, again, Ruby dried her lovingly and brought her back to her bed. She was so weak as she clung to Ruby, her strength gone, her face was drained, and it was all she could do to seek comfort from her Huntress...

After the second episode that night, they both lie awake, Cinder's harsh breaths worried her the whole night over as Ruby asked about what she remembered.

All Cinder could remember is that river, and Neopolitan... And that she'd been attacked, where Ruby had seen her wound, but now there was no wound, there were no further memories besides that and abysmal darkness.

"Whatever she did to you," Ruby swore, "we'll fix it... We have to fix it." She curled Cinder's meek body up against hers in a hug, rocking her gently as she tried to rest. But by now, she was afraid to fall asleep, for it seemed when she did, the nightmares began anew, and eventually, her emotions would rise so much so that it seemed to trigger the response, and her lungs would fill with that black substance...

"It's thick like goo, and tastes horrible," she'd whispered to Ruby, trying to explain to her what she was going through.

"When it comes out, I can't see... I can't hear... I can't breathe..." She said it was like pure nothingness was coming out of her, the world around her went dark, she was left with the feelings of her body regurgitating and crying that thick goop... and all the while, each time, she was filled with a sense of that foreboding feeling, like something was coming on, but what, she wasn't certain.

Late at night, while still awake, she'd clutched at Ruby's shirt, pulling her out of the light doze she'd fallen in to.

"Ruby... Tell me," she begged as the feverish woman pulled her in, her weak voice not as apparent from far away.

"Tell me it'll be okay," she said, and Ruby's heart sunk once more.

"It'll all be okay," Ruby said to Cinder, brushing her hair back out of her face, gazing into that eye. She'd been shaking the rest of the night, it was all Ruby could do to hold on to her tight, warm her up as best she could, though she was often sweating due to the Maiden's high body temperature... She stuck through it though, into the wee hours of the morning, and made her a breakfast of soup, which didn't seem to want to stay down. Cinder complained of being so very tired, but it was the nightmares, she said, that consumed her... If she had one, that was what seemed to pull her in deeper. When Oobleck returned with more results from his analysis, they had a bout of good news to hear he'd uncovered something. It appeared that where her wound had been, there was indeed the tell tale signs of something inside of her body, just under her rib cage. The something, they guessed, that was left over from when she'd been stabbed. Examination of her flesh in the area was inconclusive, there was no sign of a wound, no scar, nor cut... It was as if it had just vanished on the surface...

"With your permission, Miss Fall, I can attempt to surgically examine the area," he had proposed to her, and Cinder had given in as Oobleck explained it may be their only way to know what was underneath and inside of her. Having already brought everything he needed, they set her up on the dining table, and she lie on her stomach as the man carefully planned his incision with a marker from her own art set. Cinder was awake, and had to bite through the pain, but Oobleck cut open the area under which lie her wound, and just as Cinder had expected, when he did so, a gushing of black fluids poured out of her. It was ceaseless, endless... It drained her power, until her head hit the table, her fever returned, and it was all Oobleck could do to try and stop the gushing with his hands and bandages.

But it was too late.

Cinder's consciousness waned, and there on the table, she leaked thick pools of ichor, and as she slipped asleep again, it started once more, and everything for her went dark. From what they could only assume was every hole in her body, the darkness poured forth, and once again consumed her, shrouding her in that thick mess, much to Oobleck's dismay... There, in their apartment, the monster did come forth, and as it lay on the table, the nasty substances secreting from it's body dripped over the edges in lazy waterfalls, falling to the floor and pooling ever outward. When it's form came to be again, and they'd lost sight completely of Cinder's frail body, it roared, and it's red eyes fell to Ruby...

Somewhere deep inside Cinder, her ire burned, and the monster surrounding her lunged, Ruby narrowly avoided it by leaping over the couch. It tore up their living room, smashing the television and the paintings, knocking over the couch and the book shelf, sending the coffee table flying into the wall. It's rampage only abated when it ran into the window, the shifting mass of seething black ichor slopped against it until there was the breaking of glass, and out the window it went, leaving Oobleck and Ruby dumbfounded inside. The writhing black stuff was all over the apartment, and Ruby watched as it began to move of it's own accord.

"That's not good," Oobleck chimed as suddenly the stuff began to run along the walls, the floor... It coalesced together as they watched it, and on the floor, a face appeared, slowly screaming out as the liquid Grimm struggled to break out of its formlessness.

Oobleck was quick to fix fire Dust to his weapon, and burned the thing, it screeched heavily until it bubbled into a puddle and left a black stain of ash on the floor.

"Just what is going on?!" Ruby shouted, so frustrated now that their peace had been disturbed yet again. All she wanted was to live life with Cinder, and now, her lover was on a destructive rampage tearing down the street in the form of an ever-changing Grimm body that was slowly growing bigger and bigger. She retrieved her scythe from the wall, and stepped to the window.

"Where are you going?" Oobleck asked her, and she gave him a serious look.

"To save my Maiden," she said with conviction, and out the window she lept, tearing down the street after the monster. Oobleck looked out the window, his face grim as he sipped at his coffee.

 **[Author's Note: Ohhh, how there be no rest for the wicked. Say hello to the clever plots of one ice-cream-themed villainess! Just what is she up to, turning Cinder into a horrific abomination like that? Waaah! Oh the humanityyyy! Seems to me like there's more to it than meets the eye, too, hmmm... What could it be, what could it be?**

 **And, if Qrow has already started the search, how long will it be before he finds Neo? TIME SHALL TELL but for the time being there's a weird freakish Grimm on the loose INSIDE VALE'S SAFE ZONE! Wahahaha~]**


	13. Chapter 13: To Stave a Funeral

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 13: To Stave a Funeral**

The immediate chaos was evident the moment Ruby managed to get herself to the ground. A line of nearby vehicles had already been tossed on their sides, one had clearly launched through the glass window of their apartment's lobby... And down the lane she could see it, the writhing creature as it went, coating everything in that deep, inhuman bile. With every puddle it left, something seemed to come out of it; a literal seething mass of animal parts coursed just in front of her, twisting her gut with it's grotesque, opaque appearance. It was like a living ball of tar, writhing with its changing form, an arm here or a leg there, the face of a chicken, the wing of an eagle, the ear of a donkey, the tail of a tiger...

Not very deep within herself, she knew, it needed to die. But, fearing it might have the ability to reform, or something, she did as Oobleck had, and reached into her pouch for a clip of incendiary rounds. The first one did the trick, the Dust more than enough to dispatch the creature from within as the hole she put through it smoldered outward. She tried to ignore the harsh gurgle of it's death throes as she sprinted passed. She could hear screaming, more of the massing, shapeless things thrived. Some were big enough to begin forming full animals, but the rest... Nobody was sure what to make of them. She stopped whenever she could to crack off a shot, or drag a person to their feet, but Cinder was getting far ahead of her... Without her Semblance, she knew she wouldn't catch up. So she moved to a rooftop, and fired as many rounds as her magazine let her, then darted ahead, leaving the others to their fates. She knew what it meant to stop the source, she knew as a single Huntress there was only so much she could do for the people of Vale... They would survive, somehow, they had to.

From all around her the alarm was raising, yet another Grimm invasion, though her eyes squinted tight with her knowledge that this was far worse than they were imagining right now. These Grimm were different. As she ran along the rooftops, chasing the screams on the air, she was barely able to keep sight of Cinder's hulking form. It warped so constantly that it was hard to tell if it was the right one, as the black stuff seeped over objects, it seemed to warp them into something else, a bike became stuck in the mass, and soon, looked like a dog or maybe a badger, she'd caught sight of a car overturned being slowly dissolved into the darkness.

She finally rounded a bend as the monster turned a corner, and her higher vantage allowed her to jump over and set up a firing solution. She gripped the ring of her rifle tight, and aimed, taking a single shot that shook her upper body. It impacted the monster's foot, blowing a clean hole through the blackness, which tripped it, and it splattered all over the ground with its impact, not seeming to lose a single bit of the wet material that it consisted of. Cinder roared at her, and she pulled the nose of her rifle up, eyes wide. Could she feel pain...?

She realized the question was a dumb one the moment that a black mass of goop was hurled straight at her from an arm that had seemingly formed from nowhere and immediately catapulted it; the creature had generated a whole new body part like it was nothing, and it slid across its back to build the momentum.

She lept from her perch down lower into the road, and fired again, the stuff thrown up above painted the top of the building, and fell around her like rain. She was beyond caring about it as the liquid soaked into her dress, and she kept firing, rounds aiming all for the feet, where she hoped she wouldn't hurt Cinder, especially her precious body somewhere inside the monster's hulking frame.

But it seemed it was no use, anywhere she hit simply reformed, and now that she had its attention, the Cinder-beast charged her, taking on a form much like a giant salamander. She broke into a sprint, and ran to get out of the way, it trampled along the ground and sloshed heavy pools of formless Grimm onto the ground. She could hear now, as she paused for a moment, gunfire in the distance from all around her. It seemed they were spreading, all coming from Cinder...

She had no idea how to take this thing down, she realized, and tried not to breathe too hard as the beast, in a seemingly blind rage, had lost her with the simple motion of moving passed her. It was busy terrorizing the street again, and she swallowed hard when it took down a pair of innocent elderly folks, surrounding them in that black ichor. She tried not to think about the fact that they were probably gone right there, drowning or perhaps shock... Instead she opened fire again to draw its attention. The moment it saw her, it charged again, and roared in anger. If this was Cinder, then every time it saw her, it seemed to attack, like it had the utmost hatred for her...

Her hope was completely crushed in that one moment, she didn't feel like pressing on, all she knew is that she wanted Cinder back, wished she were here to take matters into her own hands, to deal with the situation head on... Her, with that glorious flame, to simply douse this beast and be done with it... But, as she fought off her own conscience, the monster was interrupted in its charge by a missile as it whizzed over her and exploded in front of the Cinder-beast, shaking its wobbly form and causing it to back down from that charge forward.

Oobleck stepped to her, and looked down at her there, tall as he was, then back to Cinder.

"Do not think about her, in there," he stated, his face serious.

"Think about what she might do to this thing to stop it from hurting Vale. Think about your mission," he advised, and she picked herself up and nodded. He was right, if this thing was anything like the other Grimm, moping would only make it worse. The Cinder-beast seemed to hesitate, and then ran off again down another road, disappearing behind the buildings. They ran after it, turning the corner, it was heading toward Beacon.

"Its going back toward where we found it before," Oobleck stated, "seems like it was attracted there all along. Our biggest mistake may very well have been moving it here."

That was fine and good, she thought, but it didn't stop the fact that it was running a muck through the safe zone. Nor did it stop the fact that they had no idea if Cinder was okay, or what Neopolitan was planning. For all they knew, this was a distraction...

"Cinder... Cinder... Wake up," came that voice, and she did, as if in to a dream, looking about herself. She felt younger, looked younger too, she noted, and considered the fact her other eye seemed to be working again... But, this wasn't a memory, yet it was so real... She lay in a field of roses, their striking red flowing around her, her darker crimson garments casting a stark contrast to their brilliant rosy red. And yet her mind wasn't drawn to Ruby at all, in fact, the Huntress never even crossed it, for now, her existence seemed a far off concept... But the smell of the roses drifted, and she smiled to herself at it all, the beautiful scene unfolding as she looked further out to a ring of trees, and there, on the edge of them, something... Something lurked.

But where she was, she stood, and smiled at the creature, what was it doing hiding there in the shade? Surely it would be better to join her? So she stretched her arms out to it, but it didn't budge, instead, darting behind the trunks, it played about, coaxing her to join it.

The serene winds blew, everything seemed to shift, with each drift of the air the roses shimmered with other colors. White, pink, orange... It drew her eyes, and she watched it move. Why did she ever forget to enjoy the flowers? She looked to the dark figure in the woods, and took a few steps in its direction. As she did so, she felt different... Older, her clothes, they were changing... With each step toward the shade, she felt more... herself. So she stopped, and watched. The dark little creature danced about and peered at her, but when it stopped hunching, stood up straight, she could see it... This wasn't some strange creature, for it looked just like her. She recognized the shape of her own body anywhere, when it wasn't bent strangely out of place.

The serenity of the grove of flowers beckoned her to stay. But the shade seemed so lovely and cool, the sun, while warm, provided no cover from the heat... She grew conflicted, torn. The shade, as she watched it, seemed to have the same dilemma. It was like watching some cruel mocking joke of herself, it seemed to be jesting with its every move, mirroring her emotions as though it could read her mind, yet she seemed not to feel as though she were being taunted.

"Cinder," came that voice again, the one which had sounded so familiar, yet so far away...

"Remember who you are," it said, and her vision dimmed again, fading into the darkness, and she screamed, cried out for the color not to fade, begging, but it filled the void with empty noise until it all went viscous, and black once more...

Qrow smashed the bottle against the wall.

"I didn't ask for you to beat around the bush, I simply asked you to tell me anything you know about that woman!" He grabbed his contact by the collar and shoved him up against the wall too, rubbing his back in the freshly spilt vodka. He was passed his pleasantries, it had taken him nearly a day to get to the point he could find someone who may know something about Neopolitan, and finally the man spilled the beans.

"O-okay, okay! They say she's been seen around the docks at night... You know, what used to be Torchwick's territory? She dropped out of the plans early, stepped right in and took over his assets, put everything on the real down-low like, 'til you crazy Huntsmen stopped the invasion. Now I guess it's just business, eh?" Qrow gave the man a pat twice on his stupid, pudgy face, and then smacked him as hard as he could, which for a Huntsman, was pretty damn hard. The man hit the floor after being removed from his chair, and Qrow stood, stealing the man's drink, because that vodka had been shit.

"Next time I ask a question, Greene, you'd better answer it." He kicked the whiskey back in one gulp, steeling his nerves against the gagging and the burning. He stretched his throat after that, shivering. The hard stuff was always the best, so said his stomach ulcer...

"Leave a tip for me, big guy," Qrow stated as he left the place, his pace languid and uncoordinated. He lit a smoke once he stepped outside, watching it burn even as the smoke rose over the building behind him. He had no time for that problem, his part in this plan was solidified. He had to figure out Neopolitan's plan, and get rid of her once and for all. He was off in a flash, heading off toward the docks. Surely, there would be something there...

Meanwhile, Ruby and Oobleck were after the beast, when they passed Yang in the streets, brawling with the massive monsters, she caught sight of her sister on the move and trailed after them, they slowed slightly to let her catch up when Ruby had noticed.

"What the hell is going on?!" Yang immediately asked, and Ruby frowned over at her.

"It's Cinder. Neopolitan did something to her. Look!" She pointed up ahead where the beast was on a full charge stampede toward Beacon, the trails she left sponging into creatures too horrific to describe. It was getting worse, the masses she deposited enveloping cars, swallowing shop stalls, spreading black, horrible goop all over walls and streets... Vale was in chaos already, just from the small amount of spawn that had already been laid with each step this thing took, and as they ran, Yang delivered a few sprinting shots at anything that neared them, blasting it into showering specks of tar. Some flecked their clothes, it was the natural order of things, they were used to it by now with their fighting.

"Blake went to find Weiss. Said they were going to help evacuate people. She wanted me to find you, but I guess you found me," Yang told her, and they passed a flaming wreck in an alleyway, obviously caused by someone's attempts to destroy the creatures. Instead, it seemed, they'd blocked an alley, which was better than nothing, she supposed. Ruby seemed focused, determined, more so than Yang had seen her in months. Whatever this was, it was serious, even more serious than that bat creature they'd destroyed, seemed like ages ago now...

Oobleck pointed to Yang as they ran.

"Keep those gauntlets of yours working, Miss Xiao Long, I used the only fire Dust I brought on that last rocket!"

"I'm all out, too," Ruby said, she'd only had the one clip since Weiss hadn't given her more recently. So Yang nodded, and instead took point, clearing their path with well-placed explosive shots or close-ranged shotgun punches to fling apart the creatures. They had learned fairly quickly that the less of the stuff gathered in one place meant the less of a threat it was, so spreading it as far and wide as they could seemed to serve the purpose of securing their passage.

"If my assumptions are correct, your Uncle is probably close to tracking down the culprits as we speak! Its a good thing I submitted a sample of this stuff to the Academy staff, somewhere in Vale I'm sure they've thought of something... We cannot think of it for now, we must stop Cinder!" Oobleck said when they'd paused on the edge of the Beacon campus, and the Cinder-beast loomed between the broken pillars. Its pace had slowed, it was looking around like it remembered the place... She knew, somewhere in there, Cinder was still alive, she had to be. What was it about this place that drew her so much, she wondered? Cinders emotions had begun drawing Grimm, she noticed, as the horde from the other side of the campus slowly stirred toward them.

And around them, the other ones, masses of incoherent horror, surged and writhed... From the west side of the campus, all four members of Team JRNY appeared, they must have been out on a mission, turned around now by the problems at hand. They cut into the Grimm like a hurricane, she watched Yoru work with simply his hands and his feet, disappearing and suddenly reappearing at various places, shoving Grimm toward his allies to be promptly dispatched, or kicking them himself, the case on his bag seemed unneeded, and Ruby was taken by surprise to see how fast he moved, Oobleck pushed his glasses up his nose and observed himself. He was a smart man, he was sure he knew what she was feeling...

"There is always going to be somebody stronger, or faster than you, Ruby," he stated to her, and her attention turned back to the Cinder-beast.

"Just remember, when it comes to winning your battles, you do it in a way only you can. We are all unique."

She nodded, and darted forward, bringing her scythe to bear as she chased Cinder down, finally able to catch up since she'd slowed. Cinder, her beast form currently that of a stag, dipped her head and sniffed about the campus. Ruby approached cautiously, as Yang and Oobleck moved along the flank to position themselves between her and JRNY, ready to assist when needed, while Yang dispatched some of the trail of Grimm-like masses that lurched up behind them.

Ruby ducked behind a pillar as the beast had begun to look her way. It seemed far more passive out here, where it had been before, and she took a slow breath.

"Cinder?" she called, and the beast reared its head as its form became unstable again, shaped vaguely with four legs but looking like nothing in particular as its surface wavered. The ripple shimmered the silver 'mask' on its head, the red lines zig-zagging like they were reflected from water, and Oobleck was ready and waiting, wondering what it was Ruby was up to.

The beast moved to try and find her, but when it grew closer, there was a drifting of petals from behind the stone, and as the beast rounded the pillar, it saw nothing.

"Cinder, if you can hear me... You need to wake up," she called, and the beast grew agitated, lumbering about the place to try and locate her. On the grass, the liquid that slopped from its feet seemed to catch less, and it didn't seem to be leaving enough residue to create more beasts from under itself, she peeked at it from her vantage point. But, unaware of just how acute this things senses were, it proved to be a bad idea, as the moment she showed her face, its head suddenly switched sides, jutting out toward her from what she'd thought was the beast's flank.

The blood-curdling screech it gave was all the signal Oobleck needed to fire again, and the rocket impacted its side, knocking it over as it struggled for a form again, a mass of writhing anger on the ground. Ruby saw now the true horror of this thing as it lost its animal-like form, shifting into a seething sea of body parts, faces with wide mouths, bulging eyes, the stuff of nightmares. Suddenly, it erupted about them, growing swiftly in size, screeching horrendous noises as it went. There was no choice but to attack it now, for it was attacking them.

Yang, Ruby, and Oobleck were each assaulted by the oozing, huge form, mouths biting, hands pulling at them as it warped after them, stretched into two distinct halves. Ruby slashed at various limbs as they reached for her, the black substance showering about her blade as it spun into multiple slashes. When she'd faught it back, she fired the internal rifle, blowing a hole right through it, leaving a tunnel out the other side, and she slid back.

In that hole left by the concussive air from the bullet, she saw it; a hand, pale and white, floating in the darkness... Cinder.

"She's still there!" Ruby called to Oobleck and Yang, whom were busy with their own problem, fighting off the shapeless mass surrounding them. They were able to back off far enough that the thing retreated, moving most of its mass quickly toward Ruby. Her Semblance moved her out of the way and she regrouped with the other two, who were busy showering attacks from their distanced position. The Cinder-beast's form changed to be less chaotic once more, though it was still a mass of faces and limbs, human parts like ears and feet and fingers also evident...

It suddenly lurched toward the tower, and clung to the side of it, running up the building slowly until large tendrils, like arms, seeped out of its form. It dragged itself upward, toward the top, and they moved to follow it, when a wicked laugh split the air, and Ruby looked toward Team JRNY, whom seemed to be fighting off the endless Grimm, but saw nothing. She looked toward the other wing of Beacon, and saw nothing either, but above them, perched on a ledge, legs crossed, sat a woman with a parasol, watching them, amused. Next to her, a hulk of a man, his arms crossed, looking none too happy. His colorful pants slashed a bright comparison next to the stone of the roof. The beast climbed higher, now, but this new threat had their attention.

"Don't try and stop her, you'll only make the nightmare worse," Neo chirped, and Ruby folded her scythe back into her rifle, aiming it at the woman. Her eyes, brown and pink, held Ruby's gaze as she viewed her through that scope. Her smirk was cocky, waiting for her to pull the trigger... Cinder would have warned her against firing. She would've said to wait, to see what was up her sleeve, and so she held her ground... But still, Cinder climbed the tower, Oobleck was aiming a rocket her way.

"Just let her climb," Yang told him and pushed his barrel lower as they watched.

"Smart move, blondie," Neo retorted, the roiling mass of black that was Cinder had reached the half-way mark. Knocking her off now wouldn't serve much of a purpose but to slosh that creative material everywhere, they'd have a real issue on their hands, not to mention they weren't sure if the fall would kill Cinder... So instead, with a sudden arc of movement, Oobleck suddenly twisted his torso and fired his rocket right for Neopolitan and her consort.

The explosion shook the wall and grabbed the attention of the members of Team JRNY, who swiftly disengaged and moved toward them. As Jaune approached, he slid to a halt on the left flank from where Ruby and the others stood, his team rallying behind him.

Yoru now had the case from his back in his hand, and he was tossing the long thing up and down, the two handles jutting from opposite ends spinning around as he juggled it.

"Ruby, what's going on? And what's she doing here?!" he asked as he pointed to Neopolitan, whom has shielded herself from the blast with her parasol, and simply dodged to the side. From her perch, high up, she taunted them in amusement.

"Well, it seems that the gang's all here," Neo said, seemingly finding the situation humorous. They hadn't the slightest clue what her plan was, after all, and they'd played right in to her trap...

"My dearest Cinder will wake up soon," she said, and leaned over to wag a finger at Ruby.

"You won't like her anymore, when she does," Neopolitan said to the Red Huntress, and she gritted her teeth in response, her hand clutching tightly to her weapon.

"Jaune, she did something to Cinder, remember?! That's Cinder!" She pointed up at the beast slopping its way to the top. His mouth fell open as his head stretched back. Well, that wasn't good... He looked over his shoulder at his team.

"Right, Nora!" She gave a cocky grin as her hammer reverted into it's weaponized state, and she began firing grenades at the villains as they retreated to the safety of the ground. The moment they'd jumped from their perch, Jaune charged them with a roar, bearing sword and shield, rushing for Neopolitan. But what stopped him had him reeling in shock, when a sudden eruption of air met his shield with a leg, a kick aimed right for his head as Yoru bent to deliver it. It knocked him back a few steps, and Ruby clenched a fist at the man. So Cinder's suspicions had been right!

Neopolitan laughed at Jaune as Yoru blocked his way, and stalked over, running her hand along the man's purple-clad shoulder, flicking a bit of his hair with a finger.

"Oh, how silly of me, I've forgotten to introduce my associates here... This is Rainbow Sorbet," she gestured backward to the large man behind her, his multi-colored mohawk tossing to the side as he cracked his neck.

"And this, my dear Hunstmen, is my adopted son... Popsicle." She rolled her wrist to designate Yoru, if that even was his real name, and the cocky grin he shot at his team had Nora and Ren finally joining Jaune in dismay. They'd worked with him for weeks, to feel the bite of betrayal meant they were already going to draw more Grimm with their emotions. For this exact reason, Ruby watched as Ren backed off a few paces... He knew he'd be no match for Yoru anyway, injured as he was, and so he would be on guard for the Grimm this time around. Likely, Nora would keep her eye on him, too...

Ruby tried to waste little time as she began to fire at Yoru, but with every shot, he seemed to shimmer just slightly out of reach, his stance with his arms crossed and hand on his chin unchanging as his form jerked side to side, the puffs of air around him washing over Jaune, as near as he was to the slight movements.

"Ruby, stop! His Semblance, it-" he was silenced when one of those gusts of wind showered him with its force, and another kick befell him, this one from such an angle he couldn't block it, and instead he careened to the ground, head thrown to the side by the blow.

Watching her friend take the hit, Ruby lept into action, and in an eruption of petals, she brought her scythe out once more, leaning it back and low, slashing right at the man's midriff. But as she did so, something moved her blade, and in that burst of air it flung wide. The man they'd called Popsicle blocked the blade, now too high and to the left, but it was the weapon he'd used to stop the metal blade that had her eyes widening. Along his arm was a metal bar, the handle he gripped perpendicular to it; he was wielding a pair of tonfa, but the nasty, curved blade that jutted from the hand guard told her there was more to them than a single weapon.

But as he blocked the attack, he pushed it up and out of the way, sparks grinding the two pieces of metal together as he suddenly rotated his elbow and flipped his weapon inward, the pole collided with Ruby's ribs so fast she couldn't stop it, and she yelped as she was tossed with the force of the blow. He was strong, and she slid sideways, falling to her knee. This wasn't going to be an easy fight if she'd picked it, and she looked up as Cinder topped the tower.

How this man was faster than her, she wasn't sure, but Jaune was picking himself up off the ground, and Yoru inclined his head toward him, and suddenly vanished, that telltale burst of air showering dust toward Ruby, who shielded her eyes. She watched as he came at Jaune with a flying punch, but the moment it was blocked, his knee shot out, ramming his form up against that shield and pushing Jaune back again. The flurry of blows he dished out as his tonfa rotated swiftly with his attacks had Ruby blinking to keep up with him as Jaune's shield took a shower of force, he spotted his opening, and went for it, a quick stab toward the ribs, but in yet another burst of air, he was gone. It was like his Semblance didn't have a limit, he could just use it whenever he wanted...! It wasn't like hers at all, she could go fast, but not like that, he just vanished, and it always took so much out of her... She was trying to analyze his pattern, but all she could come up with is how unpredictable it was.

She remembered Oobleck's words. There would always be somebody faster, stronger... There was only one way to win, and that was in her own way. Then it was time for a distraction!

Picking herself up from the dust, Ruby suddenly sprinted for the tower, and Neo's eyes widened. She motioned for Sorbet to get in the way of the others, and went after Ruby herself, while Nora stepped in, in defense of her team leader.

Yang cracked her knuckles with her robotic hand, and dropped into a fighting stance. If this big guy was going to fight them, then she knew it had better be her. Oobleck fell back to prepare supporting fire, a role he was best suited for.

As Ruby neared the door to the tower, a parasol, in a configuration much like a spear, cut her off as it impacted right before her. She slid to a stop and looked over. Neo was already near her, and rushed her with a punch. She dodged to the side, and in one fluid motion, Neo grabbed her parasol, spun, and slashed at her. With the pole of her scythe, she caught the attack, and jumped back; the fight had begun...

Ruby's eyes darted to the door. She had to get inside. Neo blocked it with her fencing stance, knees bent and hands ready, that parasol out like a rapier, and she gave a thrust with the weapon in Ruby's direction. She sidestepped and parried with her pole, delivering a great cleave in counterattack, which Neopolitan simply jumped over. She stepped inside the radius of her blade, at the same time flipping her parasol in her hand, using the hook at the end to pull her foot right out from under her. Ruby fell, and Neo grinned over her, walking with that cocky attitude. Her eyes drifted sideways, she could see the others fighting her associates, and Neo laughed at her, slow, rolling, lilting... It made her angry.

"Such a delicate flower, so out of her element now... You thought you could be so comfortable, with my dear Cinder at your side? Oh, but don't you see, Miss Ruby Rose, your part in this grand play?"

Ruby lashed out with a kick, meek as it was, but enough to get Neopolitan to back up enough she could scramble to her feet, and clutch her scythe behind herself.

"Shut up! She's not your anything. She's mine, and she doesn't deserve the likes of you ruining what she's worked for!" Ruby gritted her teeth and then shifted her back foot, dropping her scythe low and bracing the blade on the ground as she cracked off a close-range shot. Neopolitan's blade retracted as her parasol opened, stopping the high-caliber round right in its path. But by now, Ruby had already spun her scythe around and delivered a second shot; the force blew her right passed Neopolitan and she crashed through the doors of Beacon's tower. Neo's eyes switched their colors as she growled in anger, and she ran after Ruby, leaping at her and attempting to tackle her as she entered the Academy. If Neopolitan didn't want her climbing this tower, then that is exactly what she would do. If Cinder was still in there somewhere...

She used her Semblance to stay one step ahead of Neo. She felt lucky her friends were distracting that man, since he'd seemed faster, but Neopolitan wasn't without her tricks it would seem. When the elevator door opened after Ruby had pressed the button, the three-toned woman was standing inside already, dressed completely differently, with a much fancier dress and a lavish vintage hat, and she smirked that cocky little grin. Ruby had almost forgotten her Semblance was illusions, but when this Neopolitan raised her weapon, her face lit up in surprise. With Torchwick's cane, Neo fired a massive flare that exploded right in front of Ruby, knocking her back and draining enough of her Aura for her to break a sweat with that simple act of protection.

"Get out of my way!" Ruby shouted at the woman as she charged her. Neopolitan tried to block with that cane, but Ruby had tricked her, when she'd feinted right, she ducked left, and swiped at her feet, delivering a clean cut to both of her legs. Her Aura depleted, and she tripped, tumbling out of the way of the elevator. Ruby shot her scythe outward, catching the door just before it closed, and she stepped inside.

The elevator music was off-putting, and as Neo rose to her feet, she awkwardly leaned over, and mashed the button labeled "Close Door" repeatedly, looking between the edge of the door and Neopolitan, who ran at her. She didn't have time, though, due to Ruby's amazing button-mashing abilities, and the elevator shot up to the top of the tower, depositing Ruby into a familiar scene that she'd tried not to remember since that day.

When she stepped out of the elevator, the shattered top of the tower still hung about them in rubble, and the dragon roared silently from across the platform, frozen in its state.

And Cinder, there in the middle of it all, was standing, as though she'd woken up from her nightmare, her back to Ruby as she gazed at the beast before her. That black ichor she'd been producing was in a pool around her feet, staining her shoes, but the rest of her seemed so pristine, untouched... Ruby longed to reach for her again, but had grown cautious. She stepped forward, and the noise her shoe made in the gravel must have alerted Cinder, for she spoke.

"Is it really so silly to think?" Cinder said, and Ruby froze. How was it she could talk? Something was certainly not right here, and it halted her advance.

"Someone like me... All that I've stood for..." She turned to face Ruby. Her hair blew in the breeze, revealing that underneath, she had her other eye, they were both closed... Cinder's hand rested on her elbow, the other hand supported her chin, rubbing it in thought. Her lovely face healed, Ruby's heart thumped in her throat. Such beauty, and yet, suddenly, Ruby felt afraid... For the last time she'd seen this Cinder, she'd killed Pyrrha.

"Done in by somebody like you?" Her words dripped so callously and cool that Ruby's heart felt gripped in a vice... This was not the Cinder she knew. Those lovely amber eyes opened, but they didn't show; inside those hollow depths of black, there was no soul, and a spark lit. Fire poured forth from the emptiness of Cinder's eyes, lit them up, overflowed from them.

"You must've thought yourself so special," Cinder continued, and stepped toward her, those long, lovely legs almost taunting Ruby as she gripped her weapon, unable to think of what she should be doing. She couldn't attack Cinder... Could she? Would Cinder attack her?

"You must've thought yourself so strong..." She paced around to Ruby's left, and another burst of wind hit them. She shivered at the cold it brought, but Cinder didn't seem to so much as notice, and as she took a few steps passed Ruby, she turned around, and the Huntress turned toward her.

"Well, Miss Ruby Rose," she said, sounding so seductive as that name filtered from her, and Ruby swallowed again. Never before had Cinder addressed her this way, she could feel the aura of authority radiating, captivating her... Cinder's natural charisma had been a work of art, and now, it was stunning her, returned to her by some nefarious scheme.

"I hate to inform you that lightning never strikes twice..." Her tone sweetened until it stung, this had to all be some cruel joke, surely... But as the fire slowly crept up from her palm, and that grin turned wicked, like she'd only seen it before... Ruby's heart was breaking the moment fire hurled right for her. She moved out of the way, but the emotional blow she had taken by that one attack threatened to shatter her heart.

Cinder was relentless. She rose up, slowly, embers crackling over her hands as she began to spit more flames at her lover, and it was all Ruby could do to move out of the way. The fire sizzled and boiled the black substances still left around on the ground, the look of pure malice on her face apparent as once more Ruby was forced to behold her in a glorious inferno. The smoke rising from the top of Beacon Tower worried everyone down below, but as Team JRNY battled amongst themselves, they knew they wouldn't be able to help her. Everyone had their jobs to do, and Ruby Rose had chosen her role.

"Cinder, stop!" she shouted at the woman, trying to keep out of the way of her ire, though a severely close call had lit the fringe of her cloak on fire, she'd had to use her Semblance to get to a place she could stomp it out, hiding behind the rocks. When she hid, though, Cinder merely floated higher, and her fiery rain came from above. Ruby was quickly tiring, and needed to appeal to her quickly, so as soon as there was a break in the attacks, she slid to a stop and beseeched Cinder.

"Cinder, this isn't you anymore!" she called, and received a coy smile in return as Cinder slowly returned to the tower, graceful toes alighting on the ruined surface as she stalked closer. Her hands were out, still burning, and she looked right at Ruby, the flaming eyes unnerving her.

"Is it not me, child? Surely you must be joking... I am every bit myself as you thought I was before," she said, and Ruby shivered again with her sinister tone, "you see... I've merely woken up from the dream. You thought everything so peaceful, well why, I wonder, did you not know what was sitting right before you?"

She cocked her hip, the fire in her hands died down, and she watched Ruby, cold and calculating.

"Cinder," she breathed, her eyes watering.

"What happened to you?" she asked, and Cinder smirked.

"You did," she said, and her face twisted into a scowl of rage as her hands rose, pooling flames together into one massive ball of the stuff. Ruby wanted to accept her fate, and die by Cinder's hands, for she felt as though without her, she didn't want to live. If it was going to end that way, then it would. But not here. Not like this.

"I'm sorry," she said, bringing pause to Cinder's action.

"I'm sorry for everything I had to do to you. Everything I've done."

She heard a chime as the elevator door finally opened for Neopolitan, but she paused at the entrance, the flaming liquids on the ground were blocking her exit from the elevator. She could see over the fire, though, the scene unfolding, and her face darkened into a grin of sheer malicious joy... Her work, it would seem, was already done. She pressed the button for the lobby, and the door closed once more, leaving Ruby and Cinder to their fight. A lover's quarrel, how... Wonderful, Neopolitan thought as she ran the plans through the back of her mind again. But, she knew... Qrow hadn't made an appearance, there could only be one reason for that... It was time to clean up her loose ends.

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Cinder shouted as she unleashed that ball of fire. Ruby had to tell herself to move out of the way, she'd wanted so badly to just be done with it, but the rose petals she left behind were incinerated as she dodged once more, her aura too drained to be able to do that again. She fell to her knee. Cinder stalked toward her.

"You didn't stop to think, that maybe, deep down..." Cinder approached Ruby, and grabbed her hair, jerking her head back. Ruby would have enjoyed it, save for the fact that it had been done in such a way to crane her neck painfully, this was not at all what this action had felt like last time... She dropped her scythe and clutched at that hand in her hair.

"There is a pure, and relentless hatred of you that burns inside me," Cinder stated, and her gritted teeth and flaming eyes, Ruby was sure, pointed at that exact truth.

"Please, Cinder," she cried, her tears falling over her cheeks as the Maiden watched her.

"I just wanted us to be together," she tried, and this dark version of Cinder scoffed at her with a laugh.

"Petty," Cinder replied, she knew all about Ruby's cliche romantic nature... It disgusted her.

"All this time, and here you are, never thinking to ask how I felt. Ruby Rose," she stated, the use of her name quick and unimportant now, like it meant nothing to her.

"You have no idea what I've been through. The pain. The anger. The hate... Discarded by everyone, unloved, alone... How silly of you to think..." Ruby winced when Cinder jerked her head to the side, and then did it again, the other direction, throwing her to the ground. She stepped over Ruby, and put her boot on her hand, and ground it. Ruby yelped with pain as her hand was abused, the harsh rubber pulled at her flesh and threatened with pressure to break bones. She was surprised to find that Cinder had held back on that front.

"Feel it, Ruby Rose. You've been here, too..." Her voice had dropped now into that venomous, seductress tone, and she leaned closer to Ruby.

"You remember everything that happened here... Just look around you. Do you feel it?" She stood straight, and gestured about them, then cackled an evil laugh. She stepped down harder on her hand now, then released it, and Ruby brought it to her chest, nursing it. Her fingers were numb with pain, red. Cinder was walking around her again.

"I don't care about that anymore!" Ruby responded, and looked up at the Maiden with those pleading, silver eyes.

"I want things to go back to normal! I want you back, Cinder! All of you... I understand why you've done the things you've done. Even after everything, I still accept that. Stop trying to put feelings in my head!" She clutched her hand, and the tears came.

"Look at you, precious little Rose... You lack thorns, any real conviction... Seeking to gain so much for your friends, oh how you weep... Nothing goes your way, does it? Boo hoo... Woe is you, Ruby Rose..." Ruby's head spun with the mental anguish. Cinder... What had become of her? It was like all that darkness deep down in her had taken over... She slowly stood, but Cinder pushed her over, she was powerless to stop it, drained of her aura, physically weak...

"You're worthless to me," Cinder said, her words biting more than any attack needed to.

"I could never love you, a pathetic weakling, you're a push over without that blade of yours, and I should've killed you when I had the chance!" From where Ruby was trying to pull herself up again, Cinder smacked her across the mouth, and she fell back to the dust, the grime... The fires burned all around her, reflecting off those darkened puddles, she could see Cinder staring at her in the reflection... But in that reflection, it was the oddest thing... One of her eyes appeared normal, it lacked the flames, it pleaded to her... Cinder was still in there somewhere. The real Cinder, not just her darker side, but all of her...

She rubbed her mouth, but Cinder leaned down and grabbed her by the shirt, pulled her to her feet. Her strength was incredible, Ruby felt like she could've lifted her with her pinky finger alone. She held Ruby up before her, her feet leaving the ground, her hands clutching at the one that had grasped her.

"I know you don't mean any of this," Ruby finally replied to her, "I... I know you can still hear me. I'll forgive you!" She tried to ignore Cinder's apparent laughter as she pleaded for the last vestiges of her lover as she knew her.

Cinder threw Ruby across the top of the tower, and into the pile of rubble on the other side, before the great Dragon, and she kicked up dust with the impact, the rocks bruising and battering what remained of her Aura as she tried to keep from breaking something. She coughed as she picked herself up from the dust, Cinder was already walking toward her again. Oobleck's words filtered through her mind again. She had to do this, in the ways only she could...

"I love you!" she shouted to Cinder, causing her to pause again. She knew her words had their effects, if Cinder kept responding to them... She could definitely hear everything she was saying.

"I forgive you for Pyrrha, for Beacon... I forgive you for the suffering you've caused, because I know you suffer too! I've always known... Ever since we started living together. I see your pain, I tried to fight it back for you but..." She looked over her lover again.

"But look what it did to you..."

Cinder snickered at her, but the joy left her face as she suddenly frowned.

"Look what you did to me," she shrieked in return, and Ruby grimaced.

"No, Cinder... Neopolitan did this to you. And I'll fix it... I promise..." She felt her confidence returning as Cinder watched her. She knew what to do, now. She was in there, still. Somewhere... All she had to do was wake her up. Cinder resumed her advance, stalking toward her with her lovely, long legs, and Ruby steeled herself. Cinder's mouth twitched into a frown when Ruby began to walk toward her, too, so she sped up, fire flowing into her hands as she ran at Ruby. But Ruby just kept walking, her eyes closed, tears flowing down her cheeks. So confident... She'd probably accepted her fate. Cinder smirked as she neared, reaching out to burn right through that sad smile...

But those eyes opened, and the shining light that poured forth froze her where she stood, reaching out in anger, and Ruby did gaze upon her. She watched, unable to move as the Silver-Eyed Huntress stepped around her hand, moving closer. Her face, frozen in a frown as it was, grew pale as it reflected the bright white light that gaze had locked her in. Ruby leaned over to her slowly.

"Don't worry," she said to the grimacing Maiden, softly... She felt the stirring inside of her soul grow as the mysterious powers washed through her mind, and Ruby leaned closer, and kissed her. Her vision filled with white...

"It will all be okay."

When Cinder awoke, the first thing she noticed was the smell of roses, her mind was still hazy and white, like she were staring into the sun, but as she stirred it gradually faded to a horrendous, splitting headache, a clear and obvious sign that she was alive. She opened her eye, slowly, and looked around. This was... Ruby's room. Her fever was gone, but... Those nightmares... Had they really all just been a dream? She sat up under the blankets, resting her back against the backboard. She could hear... Something, someone... In the living room. Her hearing sharpened, and she realized they were running a vaccuum, cleaning. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, why, she didn't know, for the hoarse croak that came out reminded her of her mute condition. She frowned, and curled her knees up under her chin, shutting her eye tight, fighting against the migraine. When Ruby walked by in the hall, pushing the vaccuum, she noticed Cinder, and the resulting gasp and scrambling got her attention. She watched as Ruby practically flew across the room to meet her, the moment she had wrapped her arms about Cinder, kisses fell over her cheeks, her lips... Ruby was beside herself, and she didn't understand why, slowly managing to calm the girl down.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Ruby said, and gave her a final, deep kiss, her eye closed for a moment, but she opened it when it broke, and looked at her, confused. Ruby sighed softly.

"Yeah, right... Let me guess, you don't remember a thing?" Cinder shrugged, rolling her shoulders, she remembered... Some things... Very dark, very evil things. Her most inner thoughts, reflected through her in a series of nightmarish dreams... But the one dream, the pleasant one... She remembered roses, seeing herself mirrored in darkness, contemplating the meaning of everything... Her frown and sinking composure let Ruby know Cinder wasn't doing so well after all, and she bundled the Maiden up in her arms, squeezing her tight.

"It's okay, Cinder..."

"I messed up again, didn't I?" she whispered to the Huntress, who shook her head.

"No... No, you did nothing wrong..." Just like she'd done nothing wrong to Pyrrha, right? Cinder looked at her with an expression that said it all. She wanted to know exactly what Ruby meant when she'd said that.

"It's just... Welllll..." She rubbed the back of her head.

"You... Kind of started another Grimm attack inside Vale's safe zone. But don't worry! The others got that all taken care of! You just rest." But there would be no rest, she figured, when the pained, sad look hit Cinder's face, and she began to cry, the only other time she'd seen Cinder weep was when lamenting the loss of her eye and her voice. Ruby's heart sank to see her so upset.

"I killed people again, didn't I?" she whispered, and Ruby tried to lift her spirits by kissing her forehead softly.

"No, love... Neopolitan used you. You did nothing on purpose." She curled tighter against Ruby's chest, and the female stroked her hair, letting her get it out of her system. Ruby remembered that look on her face, that evil, hating desire... No, that wasn't the Cinder she knew any longer.

"The blame lies with her, not with you," Ruby offered, but it didn't seem to help.

Cinder was mentally abusing herself over this, she knew. She lifted the woman's chin and prompted her to open her eye.

"Ruby... What happened?" she asked, and so Ruby told her everything, and slowly Cinder began to berate herself more and more internally, and Ruby took notice.

"Look at me, Cinder. Don't think about it like that. You had no idea what you were doing, I saw you... If you had any control, you would've stopped it. But that's why you have me," she said, and Cinder's tears momentarily abated, so she wiped them away. Cinder flung herself at the girl, and clung to Ruby now, holding her close, letting all of her frustration and anguish out in that one simple gesture as it was returned, and they embraced, and kissed softly. Cinder took Ruby's hand... if it weren't for her, where truly would she be now?

"I love you," Cinder finally said to her, and the smile she received from Ruby set her heart on fire.

"I love you, too."

 **[Author's Note: OKAY so whew glad that's over. This chapter was difficult for me to write, for so so so many reasons. I worked on it over the course of time I did because I wasn't really sure if I was doing it right, I mean the story seems so solid in my head but when I put this part down on paper, I almost felt like it didn't do it justice. So I hope I captured it right! Describing horrifying creatures that don't have a specific shape at any given time is really hard, and I was trying to be detailed and yet not drag on with the fighting... Augh, in any case I'm glad I get to go back to writing the smoochy stuff (it's way more fun XD) but it wouldn't be a story without a proper climax. There are still some unanswered questions, so hopefully I can wrap those up and complete this story, then just to be nice I'll give you guys some bonus chapter lemon goodness. Or so is the plan.**

 **Anyway I'm particularly interested in reviews of this chapter! So do that, yeah! Thanks for reading!]**


	14. Chapter 14: Wicked Within

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 14: Wicked Within**

Cinder's mind hadn't settled after her nightmare, that much had been obvious to Ruby, who had to watch the torment she still endured. Whatever it was Neopolitan had done to her, which they still weren't sure on, it seemed to have deep and lasting effects on her health, but more specifically, her state of mind.

Cinder was enduring nightmares the likes of which Ruby couldn't fathom, she'd attempted to describe them but even words, as carefully chosen as hers, tended to fall short of the true horror. And all the time, she said, certain people or events would filter in, make it that much more emotionally devastating. If, she told her lover, for instance if Ruby herself appeared and was harmed, it tended to wake her up, it was so difficult to watch... But, she said, sometimes she would feel trapped within the dream, unable to wake from it, specifically when she would appear... Salem.

Salem was a topic Ruby had decidedly not touched. But from the little she could get out of Cinder, when she'd finally convinced her to share her feelings, from what she could tell Salem had not treated her kindly. After all, it had all been her plan, and if it weren't for that boy...

Ruby's mind filtered back to the room as her eyes stopped wandering into the distance out of the window, she looked down at Cinder, laying as she was, eyes closed, stretched on the bed. Her hands behind her head... Peaceful. Her leg bent ever so slightly, that knee raised... She was wearing the leather pants, the ones Ruby liked the most. They hugged every perfect curve... Her mind began to wander again, but it halted its advance when Cinder stirred.

She sat up, looking to where Ruby stood near the window. A simple nod answered her question, and Ruby smiled.

She'd asked if Cinder would finally like to start sharing a single room, and maybe turn the second one into a simple guest bed... She hadn't been subtle with the hint that it would probably be Qrow using it the most. Cinder had of course mentioned to her that she hated her babying of the drunk, she felt it was an enabling attitude, but Ruby had been too adamant about the fact that family was her biggest priority. It was probably the most annoying thing about the girl, in Cinder's opinion.

Ruby sat on the bedside, and placed her hand across Cinder's.

"I'm glad you're starting to feel better," she said, and the way her eyes trailed over Cinder had her smirking to herself. Yes, she did look good today...

"After all, it's not like I've shared a bed with you every day for the last week. Might as well make it official..." She looked about Cinder's room at the paintings covering the walls, her little hobby had turned out to be one of her most inspiring attributes.

"Let's leave the art for the guests. You're no longer a guest here, anyway, so we'll use the master bedroom..." When her voice trailed into a small sigh, Cinder slipped her hand up so their palms were facing and laced their fingers together. Something was lingering on her mind, and with this simple gesture, and the stare Ruby looked up toward then, she sighed again, with more conviction.

"It's just..." When she trailed off, looked toward the window, Cinder frowned. The nightmares, she knew. They had their toll on poor Ruby, either forced to wake from her sudden violent movements when she woke from a particularly bad scene, or the fact that she was deligent enough to make sure Cinder could sleep when she was scared.

Fear had been the primary emotion that Ruby had detected from Cinder, her usual callous demeanor never spelled much on the contents of her mind, but Ruby was certain she'd seen it; her eye gazed in such a way, the ever so slight curve of her lip... She was afraid. Perhaps because Neopolitan had managed to slip away, her cronies as well? That whole gang, still out at large...

Ruby had mentioned Neopolitan's change. The fact she carried Torchwick's cane now, had started her own plans... She just hoped Qrow's discoveries would be enough. They'd seen it, he'd stumbled in, drunk as a sailor one night, crashed on their couch... He had been mumbling about something he'd found, they couldn't make sense of it, but the moment he'd woken, hung over from his binging, he'd shouted about talking to Goodwitch, and ran out faster than they could make sense of it all. They'd been in the middle of breakfast at the time.

All attempts to reach either of the senior Huntsmen had failed, and when pressed, Ruby had even contacted Oobleck, but to no avail. Whatever was happening, the three of them were on the case. Cinder had even mentioned she'd seen Team CFVY's movement about the city through their windows, as she often peered out of them, as Cinder had put it it was 'hard to miss that Coco girl's style. Or the rabbit ears.'

Cinder finally took the initiative from Ruby, moving to the side of the bed and standing, she grabbed first her pillow, and then, with a rough yank, rolled Ruby right off the bed as she pilfered the blanket. When she took them into Ruby's room, the meaning was clear; Cinder simply liked those better than what she had on her bed.

"Hey, ah-!" Ruby exclaimed as she was forceably removed from the bed. She supposed it was of no consequence to her what blanket they used as long as they could share it, so, rubbing her tailbone from the fall, she took the injury in stride as a love bite. They left the bare bed for later, and Ruby shot passed the other female in her quickness, and, lacking any grace, tore the blanket from her bed. She tossed it into the air, letting it sail over Cinder, laughing at her as it slowly, carefully laid about her like a terrible ghost costume.

"...Ruuuby," she grumbled, still holding her things, so Ruby helped her, removing it. She was glaring when Ruby revealed her, but tossed the blanket and pillow onto her bed, still staring with conviction. Ruby pressed her fingers together, giving her a completely fake face, like she was sorry or something... So Cinder shoved her roughly. She stumbled, her feet hit the bed, cutting her into a fall, and Cinder loomed over her. She still stood, but leaned down, giving her that haughty look.

"What? If you don't like my blanket, it doesn't like you," the Huntress offered, and shrugged, and with a quirk of Cinder's brow, the woman leaned back, standing up straight again. Ruby propped herself up on her elbows as Cinder sauntered about her room, casting critical glances on everything.

She grabbed the picture of Yang that Ruby kept on her desk, and tossed it into the trash. She gasped.

"Hey!" she protested, but Cinder cast her a stern glance over her shoulder. Like hell she was having Ruby's sister stare at her all day.

"Well at least let me move it somewhere else, jerk," Ruby said and ran to the waste-bin to pluck it out, gracing Cinder with that puffy-cheeked angry face she loved to see so very much. Ruby stuck her tongue out and stalked into the living room, meanwhile Cinder plucked various decorations that she deemed overly offensive from their perches, placing them on the desk. Flowers, no... That Pyrrha action figure? Definitely not... An old box of crackers Ruby was probably never going to finish... She organized everything so when Ruby returned, she ended up standing in the doorway, staring at the desk, and stomping her feet.

"What are you doing with my stuff?!" she shouted, and Cinder smirked. She walked closer, and leaned over to Ruby.

"It's our stuff, now," she corrected quietly, and ran her finger up Ruby's neck, under her chin... It froze the girl's protests, and she gasped softly when her chin was lifted, and she was given that side of Cinder only she ever got to see again. The woman was giving her a very serious look of lust...

But, it would seem, she didn't intend to act on it, as she soon had her fill of glancing over Ruby's face, releasing her with that finger and instead glancing to her things.

"Just move them," she whispered softly, her voice, it would seem, had recovered a bit faster due to whatever it was that monster inside of her had released. It was capable, it seemed, of healing her eye, so she wasn't surprised in the least when Cinder was returned to her normal state that her whisper was a fair deal stronger now that she could do it from a couple feet away and still be heard if the area was quiet.

"...Okay," Ruby found herself saying, and gathered her things, moving them into the living room. She posed Pyrrha so she was punching Yang's photo on the sill of the bay window, placed the plant next to it, moved her comics to the bathroom for reading materials, and returned to her room. Now, Cinder was simply lounging on the bed like a sleepy lion, one foot hanging off the side and meandering about lazily in the air.

She crossed her arms, and gave a little noise of protest from lack of acknowledgement, so Cinder lifted her head, and beckoned her over. Ruby, frustrated, stomped like a child toward her, and she rolled her eye. When the girl was close enough, she simply pulled her over herself like a blanket with one hand, and hugged her close.

"Thank you," she said simply, the small phrase carrying a deal of volume to it. She wondered then, to herself, if Cinder's voice ever truly could be healed. Her eye, she was sure, she'd taken completely, but... It would be nice to hear her voice again... Just like she had so recently.

"I heard you speak again on the Tower," Ruby mentioned, it just seemed like the right time, as they lay in relative peace. Cinder's eye widened, but she didn't seem too surprised, but she looked to her lover with curiosity.

"You said... Very cruel things, I know you didn't mean them," she said, and the way she tensed, scrunched up as she remembered them... Cinder dragged her closer with both arms now and held her flush against her body, her smaller form had a way of curving along her like a puzzle that fit perfectly. For a moment she coveted the feeling, then it passed.

"But..." Ruby shifted now, and moved to touch Cinder's eye, the one she'd burned out.

"I just wonder maybe if you meant those things, deep down..." Her thumb slid over the eye-patch they'd replaced for her, the silken cloth matching the soft feeling on the back of her palm from Cinder's lovely hair. Cinder was already growing agitated, she knew, by the touch to that side of her face, so when she'd had her moment, she let her fingers bury into that hair, a move that calmed Cinder to no end, she always enjoyed the feeling... It was Ruby's way to trick her into letting it slide, she used it every time she touched that scar. Cinder would've hated her for it if she didn't enjoy it so much. Sometimes, she wondered if she rubbed off on Ruby, like she'd learned to play Cinder at her own game...

She stared at her Huntress, letting her continue.

"I don't know... Maybe it's stupid, but so far, everything seems just so... planned out, against us, like there's some strange significance to everything..." Cinder hadn't noticed the hand that had slipped along her back, but when two fingers pushed up against her ribs, she cringed, Ruby prodded right where she'd been stabbed, the memory flooded back and made her tense. Ruby calmed her, running that same hand along her body, over the curve of her bottom. Cinder's own hand fluttered to her lover's cheek and she brushed her thumb along her scars, attempting to reassure her.

"No, Ruby," Cinder said to her gently.

"It's just life."

Like so many times before, Cinder was a pawn in a game for Neopolitan, to think any deeper into the matter would only hurt them. She brushed back Ruby's bangs, and kissed her forehead softly. Such a foolish girl, as always. Perhaps if she stopped overthinking everything all the time, she'd quit subjecting herself to such worry?

Her lips moved to Ruby's ear... It made the hairs on her neck raise whenever she did it now, like they'd used to do a month or so ago... Her voice was strong enough she usually didn't need to, but whenever she did, Ruby knew it was either for her to use her mouth, or her words.

In this case, it was both, and the gentle kiss that found her neck, just under her ear made her smile gently, but those lips brushed against her flesh softly as she spoke.

"It's true that I hate what you've done, deep down..." she said, and Ruby's face grew worried.

"But... I respect you for defeating me... I-" she seemed to hesitate for a moment, "I don't hate you... I just hate not having my eye." Ruby touched her cheek again, over the scar. She tried not to flinch away, but couldn't help it, she turned her head away from that hand. True to form, it waited for her to turn back, and Cinder sighed softly as she nuzzled against the girl's fingers, thankful she let her initiate the touch now, offering a gentle resistance to her movements that was more than loving enough for her. She brushed her cheek against Ruby's fingers, letting their softness soothe her.

"Cinder... what do you think of me? What do you really think?" Ruby asked now, and she paused in her nuzzling, meeting her lover's gaze once more. Quite a heavy question, considering Cinder's opinionated nature... But she genuinely seemed interested, so she figured it was better to get it out now than let it lie in waiting to be exploited by strange blob-monsters...

"You're foolish," she started, and then paused, but added, "and naive. Brash... The way you conduct yourself is..." She had to stop for a moment to rub her neck as she spoke.

"You give too much, ask for too little," she said, "you're reckless, you don't think about the consequences..." Ruby's brow furrowed into a frown. She made it sound so... Horrible, like she were some young and terrible cadet. Then again, she'd asked, and she also knew what it felt like when Cinder complimented her.

"I still love you," Cinder added, almost like it were an afterthought as her gaze trailed away. Ruby gave her a squeeze... Her list of complaints was fairly long with Cinder, too, she guessed.

"Yeah, well... You suck with your hands," Ruby shot back, the obligatory insult she needed to feel secure again. But of course, it brought a flat look from Cinder, and she reached over, squeezing one of Ruby's boobs out of nowhere, rather hard. She gave a yelp in pain and nursed it when Cinder's hand pulled away, smirking in victory as she was. Naive as always.

"They work just fine," Cinder retorted, and Ruby rubbed at her chest, a tear in the corner of her eye. She supposed she deserved that. After she was feeling a bit less painful, she settled back against Cinder, who's toes were rubbing against hers now, barefoot as they were. She played with her Maiden's toes for a moment, herself, thinking as they stared at one another in that pregnant pause.

"What do you think Qrow found?" she asked now, always with the questions... Leaving Ruby to deliberate on the future could be weaponized if Cinder ever felt the need to give someone a pain in the neck, she could simply dump Ruby's inquisitive nature on them and wait ten minutes...

"I don't care," Cinder stated, gruffly, it was fairly obvious after all she'd been trying to forget about the entire ordeal. Ruby propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at Cinder, brushing her hair out of her face, exposing her scar.

"Sure you do, it has everything to do with you... I mean, Oobleck said there wasn't a trace of whatever had been inside of you left, but we don't know what it could've done to you..." Cinder rolled her wrist, still uncaring, closing her eye again and relaxing. Ruby rested up against her, lips against her collarbone as she spoke, the action making her head bob as her lower jaw pressed against her skin, unmoving.

"You're not okay, Cinder," she said, and Cinder sighed, becoming agitated again. Ruby knew she just wanted it all to be over, because she felt the same way, but to not acknowledge it now would be a mistake...

"Your nightmares are horrible, aren't they? You thrash around, sometimes, Cinder... You kicked me in the crotch two nights ago, I couldn't talk for two whole minutes, you didn't even wake up and I had a bruise..." Her woe-is-me expression had Cinder sighing again and pinching the bridge of her nose. She didn't want to be talking about the nightmares. It was bad enough to see her lover consumed by rotting blackness... Her mother's death all over again... The horrors of war, or the unintentional pain she'd caused... Sometimes, the dreams were formless, warping visions, filled with creatures the likes of which shouldn't have ever even been imagined. But Ruby's concern was noted, for the look that must've washed over her prompted Ruby to kiss her deeply, holding her face in her hands. She closed her eye and let the comfort fall over her, instead, it eased her frustration and drew her thoughts off of the matter, even if for only a second.

Ruby pulled away from her, but was still looking at her, her eye opened to be met with that lovely silver gaze, and for a moment she could almost remember seeing the light pouring from those eyes...

"I won't let her hurt you again like this," Ruby said to her, obviously meaning Neopolitan, but she gave a sad smile and closed her eye, tilting her face away. She knew there wasn't merit to the statement, if Neopolitan wanted to mess with her, she could come out of nowhere and just do it.

"I promise," she added, and Cinder looked at her with understanding, though in her mind she hoped that promise didn't have to be tested. She ran a hand over Ruby's head, through those red-tipped locks she was so very fond of. She wondered to herself how Ruby kept the color in, she'd never seen her re-dye it once, though she wondered if maybe it was somehow a natural trait, her genetics seemed fairly rare to begin with...

"You're staring," Ruby commented with a perverted smirk when she noticed Cinder gazing at her in such a way, the resulting pouting face she got was too tempting to kiss, so she did. She loved flustering Cinder like that so suddenly, it was the easiest way to get back at her for all the sadistic actions she liked to take all the time.

"It's okay, you're allowed to stare at your girlfriend," Ruby mentioned, the first time she'd used the title. Cinder blinked, but otherwise didn't react to it, it felt kind of nice, to know that was how Ruby thought of their relationship. Something normal like that... Not one at all, say, to be forged out of a brutal defeat and a subsequent disregard for local law enforcement... Ruby placed her lips to Cinder's forehead, and the trail of kisses that worked their way down to her lips had her heart fluttering ever so slightly with the affection she felt for the girl. Saved now, twice by Huntress. Three times, if she counted Qrow's actions on the airship as Ruby's doing, considering she was busy trying to spare her the whole time.

Ruby's hand slid up her stomach, holding her there in that kiss for awhile, letting her feel that love that pulsed now between the two, the unspoken feelings they could stir within one another, and her hand trailed higher, slipping over one of her breasts... She snatched the hand, and broke the kiss, not really in the mood. Ruby pouted, but didn't argue, instead content to resume the kiss and let her hand fall to Cinder's shoulder. If she wasn't wanting to be affectionate, Ruby knew, it was better that she let it be one-sided, so she let her hand rove slowly over the woman's chest and neck, touching the skin left bare by her low-cut dress with her lovely, silky fingers.

Cinder's eye fluttered closed at the gentle treatment, content to simply enjoy the closeness. They didn't need to make this moment more than it was, and certainly with everything on her mind it was far more meaningful that they didn't.

"Well, if you're not gunna go for it, then I'm still going to grope you," Ruby told her in a sing-song voice, and she sighed and rolled her eyes the moment she felt that hand on her backside squeezing. Ruby was a bit too lusty for her taste today, it would seem, and she wiggled up against Cinder's firm body, giving her a light bite on the neck. Her face twisted to annoyance, Ruby's kiss covered the bite, her other hand giving her two handfuls of that delicious booty. It had its effect, as she nipped at her neck again, Cinder's cheeks slowly turning red.

"Oh?" Ruby questioned when she'd noticed, that naughty little impish look crossing her eyes. She pressed her hips up further against Cinder's, causing her breath to hitch as she squeezed herself against her lover, cheek nuzzling along her collarbone.

"Stop," she said, rather sternly, but Ruby didn't listen.

"You never do when I tell you to," she mentioned, but to Cinder, that was a far different case... Ruby shifted, grinding their hips together, and she gasped uncomfortably, her hand latching onto Ruby's shoulder.

"Stop," she warned again, and Ruby kissed under her neck, her hand moved around, touched her crotch...

Cinder's eye shot wide and she grasped Ruby's wrist, twisting her hand up and back and causing her to cry out in pain as she violently tweaked her elbow to the side. She glared daggers at the girl.

"I said stop," she said, her voice straining as she used it for multiple words in that quiet but louder tone, and Ruby took the hint, blushing in embarrassment as she pulled her arm away.

"Okay... Sorry," she offered, but the mood was soured, and Cinder shoved her aside, rolling over. She hugged herself, grumbling, her back toward Ruby now. The Huntress frowned, and gently touched Cinder's shoulder.

"I wasn't trying to impose, Cinder... I just thought you'd want to get your mind off it for a little while maybe?" She moved to meet her lover's retreat, and slipped her arms around that waist, scooting in close behind her, pressing her chest up against Cinder's back. That, however, actually did excite her, at least a little bit... But on principal, she didn't move, instead staring at the wall as her mind replayed everything she could remember about the sickness she'd had before turning into that... Thing that Ruby had described. Even now she could still feel that ache within her, the solidified, thick blackness of her own soul turned to syrup at Neo's hands. She'd brought out that latent evil within her, and now Cinder was having doubts about it herself. All according to plan, she was sure...

"Cinder... You need to stop brooding on it. It's not healthy... Cinder, look at me." The Huntress tugged her lover so she was laying on her back, and climbed aboard, straddling her hips as she looked down at her, hands on Cinder's stomach. The Maiden lay with her hands over her head, watching the Huntress carefully. She was probably right, but...

"Whatever you think you did, it wasn't you, already. It was that thing Neopolitan turned you in to, I could almost feel it... It hated me, but you don't hate me, so it isn't you." She watched Cinder's face soften, and then smiled, rubbing her hands along her sides. It was better when she was relaxed, not with that frustrated or angry scowl. Ruby blushed slightly when she noticed Cinder giving her that stare again, like she were just drinking her in, like she were some form of art or a sculpture, there... Ruby gave her the smallest of smiles, a beautiful look for certain, but her hands found the hem of her own shirt, and she lifted it slightly, looking away as she bared her stomach for Cinder. Now that was a great way to start something... Cinder's hands moved as if of their own accord and ran over those lovely, smooth abs... The little deviant knew how to play her all right.

"That feels nice," Ruby commented on the fingers along her flesh, she was glad she'd decided to stay home today, mostly because it meant she didn't have her corset on yet... It made it easier to tease her lover. She shifted her hips experimentally, which only had an effect on her it would seem, her breath hitched and Cinder's eyebrow rose.

Ruby's arousal seemed ill placed of all the days... For a moment, she contemplated using that against her, maybe leave for a few hours, let it boil up inside of her... But, she thought, after all Ruby had been doing for her, she didn't deserve that treatment today. Instead, Cinder decided on an alternate course of action, and dug her nails into Ruby's side, the face this made her take on delighted Cinder, Ruby was learning... She wore pain on her mouth, but the sparkle in her half-lidded eyes was unmistakable; the pain was starting to excite her, because she knew what it usually came packaged with... Cinder wondered if maybe she'd have to break her of that little habit, give her nothing but pain to make her know it again... She tested the waters, heating her hand like she'd done before, wrapping it about the girl's hip and letting it burn her.

Rather than a cry of pain, she got a moan, those hips rolled, pushed her crotch against Cinder's abdomen... She felt the wetness, Ruby really was starting to enjoy it... So she grinned, evilly, and increased the heat to a level that was dangerous to her skin, reveling when the Huntress clutched at her clothing, tugging it, enduring. That was more like it, she thought, as the pain started to seep from Ruby's features.

"C-Cinder, careful," she warned, and Cinder immediately released her. Ruby exhaled sharply the breath she'd been holding, and examined the hand-print growing over her side. It stung, a clear indication she'd been burned lightly, and she stuck out her lip, pouting.

"You're not supposed to leave damage," she complained, but Cinder gave her a look that said it had been very intentional. Ruby supposed she'd deserved it considering she'd been the one provoking the sadist, but she leaned over, allowing her skirt to form a lovely curve over her bottom as she slid along Cinder's body. Her hand only had one option, to slide up that skirt, grasping a good handful of that curve, pulling Ruby closer. They shared a kiss, again, the Huntress' small hands clung to her dress. The kiss broke, leaving Ruby fairly breathless.

"And you're not supposed to be the horny one," Cinder replied to her comment, grinning.

"I can't help what you do to me," Ruby replied in a husky tone, and Cinder shivered, the way she'd said it was just... Perfect. She sighed softly as Ruby pushed her bum up into that hand, smirking at her, enjoying the feeling it would seem. Cinder felt maybe she'd given in a bit too easily, though in that moment, she was relieved to find her mind was indeed elsewhere now, focusing on the beauty before her instead of the twisted darkness within herself.

"And what, my Maiden, would you like to do to me...?" Ruby asked in that sultry voice again, her face unmistakably turned on by now. But Cinder considered her options, and the question. What didn't she want to do?

But before she could fully form her list, a sudden, loud, booming knock on the front door alerted both of them, they perked up, ready for the typical action of loud noise. Their conjoined stress loomed, and Cinder rolled aside to stand up. Ruby moved to answer the door in a reflex unmatched. Cinder was in the hallway in a moment... Both of them knew the knock, this could only mean one thing; the authorities were here, for once.

Ruby opened the door, immediately putting on her innocence.

"Hello? Oh... Officers?" she said, and the gruff men in front of her, with their menacing rifles shifted, taken aback by random innocence on their supposed dangerous dispatch.

"We've been having reports of... Uhh... Loud noises and accompanying screams from this place?" the simpleton officer half-questioned, almost apprehensive after the sight of such a small, unassuming persona. Ruby shook her head, in Cinder's opinion, rather unconvincingly.

"What? Us? Noooo..." It was at that time one of the officers shouldered passed her... Was that Atlas armor? Cinder wondered as she stepped to the edge of the hallway.

The man had a look around, his stocky shield and obviously ready bludgeon evident as he checked their living room.

The scythe that Ruby always left hanging on the wall caught his visored eye, and he stared over at them.

"That was the weapon last seen near that monster..."

Cinder stepped forth, moving straight in front of Ruby, suddenly, enough that with her tall stature the man took a half-step back.

"She... Defended people," Cinder bluffed, her voice addled, knowing nothing of Ruby's own exploits save for saving her personally... But it was true, Ruby's perfection in ballistics was supposed to be unparalleled.

It clicked with Ruby, too, the same time Cinder defended her. She'd only fired twice at Cinder... Twenty eight rounds had been in her magazine, and all but three of them had hit a mark. Yang had told her that her little sniper spree had saved some forty people from immediate harm as they all fled the streets and building lobbies. Evidently, the victims she'd seen consumed had been only the remnants in her area.

"Standard procedure, we're taking her in for questioning," the man said in return, he brandished his pole, and it crackled with energy, she assumed to intimidate her.

There was no way that she was going to mess up this living room again. She glanced to the window, which was shattered and out, and the man's eyes, she could barely see through the tint of his visor... He glanced to the side, and she moved, darting forward. With deft hand she placed her wrists at both his neck and his hip, twisting him. As she expected, the man was a mere human; his aura untrained, his Semblance undiscovered... She rolled him in the air and threw him right at the other officer in the doorway. No way did she have time for this!

Ruby was beside herself. She hadn't expected such a sudden reaction, but Cinder's stare as she finally straightened and looked at Ruby was a very serious one.

The government had tracked her down. She was certain there was an entire document all about her exploits by now... Swiftly, she ran, tugging Ruby with her as the two of them ducked out the broken window. As they retreated, they could see the Atlas soldiers in the windows, having gotten up and ran to them... One of them was clearly talking to their dispatcher, and Cinder grew cautious and low from where they moved down the street.

They were both practically half-clothed, Cinder barefoot, in her dress, and Ruby similar, in nothing more than a skirt, underwear, and her shirt. As they bolted down the sidewalk, the porous surface creating friction against their skin, Cinder began to laugh.

Cinder didn't know what to think, but it wasn't the first time Cinder had ran from measly cops... She nearly had to stop, doubled over from laughter as she turned them down an alleyway between a sushi shop and an exotic convenience store. They'd ran nearly two blocks...

Cinder wasn't phased, however, instead she seemed amused, slowing to a halt in an ecstatic manner, she lilted against Ruby, then forcefully pressed her against the alley wall, as if under some drug...

"That..." she breathed, definitely effected.

"Y-Yes," Ruby finished, "that was hot..." They both looked at each other, their obvious flushing bodies heated by both running from the police and the fact they'd nearly been about to start something intimate just before...

For once, Ruby didn't protest when Cinder leaned toward her with lips too hot for a simple kiss. They burned up along her jawline again, where they had once before, but now she writhed at the pain when the heat surpassed her tolerance. She pushed against Cinder, her hands falling partially on her chest... It only made her want Ruby more, in fact. But she backed off after a couple seconds, the steaming kiss making the Huntress rub her flesh.

"Cinder, we need to move... Why were Atlas troops here again?" Ruby finally asked, snapping back to the reality of the situation and applying her observational skills for once. Cinder sighed and rested her head against Ruby's shoulder, bending to do so.

"Mhn... I'm sorry," Cinder breathed, but Ruby pushed her up by the shoulder and shook her head. Now wasn't the time for such things.

"It's me," Cinder stated after such a reluctance, and her glance skyward alerted Ruby's silver eyes to follow. They trailed up toward the sky... Atlas was back. The military ships loomed about them, and Ruby trembled. Cinder noticed the violent shake, and clutched the girl against her chest.

The last time Atlas had been in town, they'd nearly killed Cinder with their horrendous bombardment... The reason everyone else had died aside from her two subordinates? Mostly the overzealous, capitalist pigs that were the Atlas troops. She despised them, but they were back...

"Weiss," Ruby breathed, and Cinder caught her cheek sternly with a hand. She made her stare into her amber gaze.

"No," she said, and shook her head.

"Too risky."

She looked back to the freighters above them, surely crawling with troops...

What was going on? Whom had tipped them off, told them Cinder was the problem? They'd shown up right at their door, surely whomever it was certainly was close enough to know where Cinder was staying... They traipsed down the alleyway and into the shadier parts of town again... Cinder, a master of the shadows, knew that Ruby wouldn't survive something like this on her own.

After all, what would happen when Atlas went snooping into the records? They would see, what, Qrow? Big surprise, but also... Ruby.

Huntsmen were required by law to detail records of their transactions with missions and their own headquarters, due to their power... The populace was always wary of everyone except for the true problem, and Cinder was certainly one to recognize that fact. As Vale was slowly leeched of life by Atlas, so too did they become "allies"... It was only a matter of time before things got bad enough again for the puppet government they lived under to call in their big brother. Atlas, of course, had a thing out for Cinder... She'd personally destroyed plenty of their precious armada and military in her plans, which were precisely devised to rid the world of purist idiots such as that lot; the ones whom thought themselves tough enough to fight were often the first ones to die on the battlefield without an aura. Yes, Dust firearms were powerful, but...

Cinder and Ruby slipped through the side streets, avoiding the officers, until they came to a place Ruby recognized as one of Qrow's regular inns. After a mediocre pay, they had a room, with a single bed, wooden lodgings, and only the old dust to keep them company in the poorer side of town. The real world, thought Cinder, as she settled onto their small bed to rest.

"Sure happens fast," Ruby commented as she pulled up alongside their new place to stay.

Cinder nodded slowly.

"You rebel," she said, and her gaze pierced Ruby's.

Ruby smiled slowly, giving her that wonderful little smirk again... Tonight, perhaps, was not over...

 **[Author's Note: OOOOHHH SHHHH- IS MORE STUFF ACTUALLY GOIN DOWN?!**

 **Or is the next chapter just a smutty lemon in a dank hotel room? FIND OUT NEXT TIME**

 **TEEHEE.**

 **BONUS EDIT: I forgot to give you guys the clues to the quotes/modified quotes in chapter 9!**

 **Loud House - Theme Song**  
 **Collective Soul - She Said**  
 **Incubus - Stellar**  
 **Korn - BBK**  
 **Jack Johnson - Bubbly Toes**  
 **Jason Mraz - You and I Both**  
 **John Mayer - Neon**  
 **Beatles - Hey Bulldog**  
 **Placebo - Ashtray Heart**  
 **Godsmack - Spiral**  
 **SOAD - Hypnotize**  
 **RATM - The Ghost of Tom Joad**  
 **Jars of Clay - Liquid**  
 **Fatboy Slim - Brimful of Asha**  
 **Lord Dominator - I'm the Bad Guy**  
 **Pogo - There You Are**  
 **BNL - When I Fall**  
 **Weird Al - Close But No Cigar**  
 **Rob Cantor - Old Bike**  
 **Passion Pit - Moth's Wings**  
 **Talking Heads - Nothing But Flowers(modified)**  
 **The Lab Rats - Devil's Train(modified)**  
 **Fever the Ghost - SOURCE(modified? maybe not I forget)**  
 **Paul Simon - Wristband]**


	15. Chapter 15: Falling Cinders, part 2

**[ATTENTION READERS: Thank you for 11,000 views and ONE HUNDRED FOLLOWERS! I had so much fun doing it last time, that I again have prepared a list of song quotes which have been worked into the following text. See if you know the songs! They were all taken from songs with a particular rebellious message, for obvious reasons. I'm so excited to finally be doing a story that involves killing fascists! Gee, I wonder why... Haha]**

 **Chapter 15: Falling Cinders, Part 2**

The night had come with a swift determination as the city slowly began to crawl with the Atlas authority. Neither of them were sure of the full intention of the Atlas military, and although they'd been in a bit of a heat with their actions prior to fleeing the apartment, Ruby and Cinder's intimacy had been unable to rekindle when the noises from the outside world began to filter in to their dusty room. Several times, they heard gunfire, one or two explosions, all sorts of shouting and screaming... Cinder had told Ruby there was nothing to be done about the shouting; she'd evidently had experience with this situation, she insisted that they stay inside and keep their heads down. When the commotion persisted late into the night, Cinder, having only recently recovered from whatever it was that had been done to her had grown tired and weary and taken to sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall, she looked so dreadfully exhausted that Ruby had taken to pacing out of worry and anxiety.

At around three or so in the morning, Cinder finally stood up without a word, and left, beckoning Ruby to follow her. The silence had persisted for hours, so, happy to finally be doing something, anything, she followed her barefoot lover to the exit of the inn, and out into the cold winter streets. Immediately, Ruby began shivering, but with a deft arm Cinder pulled her in and warmed her up as they looked about at the scene. All around above them Atlas ships were drifting; from somewhere in the distance they could see the rising glow of flood lights, heard a loud speaker blaring orders, to whom they could only guess.

But the most noticeable change were the posters now pasted up along the allies and shop fronts, as they walked down the road, they noticed them and their slogans...

Cinder stopped to tear one from the wall. Upon it were three figures. Weiss' sister, Winter Schnee, General Ironwood of the Atlas military, and a third, older woman whom she didn't recognize. But the slogan across the bottom was what worried her, and Qrow's words echoed through her head.

"Propaganda leaves us blinded," she whispered, and showed the poster to Ruby.

"Atlas protects?" she read, and Cinder frowned. The rest of the posters were similar, proclaiming the Atlas authority would be the savior of Vale, to keep the people safe and sound... And to Cinder, she knew they also aimed to keep them under control. It was already starting. The shouting they'd heard earlier was no doubt a result of some citizen not doing what they were told, the gunfire probably something far worse...

The other Hunters no doubt would not be seen as tolerable members of this new institution. They were going to be hunted down and rounded up, or killed, just as they had been before... Suddenly, rapid footsteps alerted her and she pulled Ruby swiftly into the entry bevel of a doorway, pressing her body firmly up against the smaller girl, pinning her into the corner.

"Cinder...?" Her eyes practically pained Cinder's very soul, so confused... Ruby was too innocent for a hostile take over, this wasn't going to be a very pretty month for either of them...

"Shh!" she quickly hissed, and covered her mouth gently with a kiss. The line of soldiers that marched down the street seemed not to notice them, hidden in plain sight as they were, and as soon as they'd passed, Cinder looked after them. Their rifles were loaded, although strapped to their backs, and she frowned again.

"Oh, no..." Ruby tugged at her sleeve.

"What is it?" she asked, and Cinder gave her a worried look, but pulled her along. They had to find somebody else whom was on their side, and fast... Ruby gasped and tugged her to a stop as they rounded the corner into the alley to head back toward their apartment. They would need clothes, for one, and their weapons...

"Cinder!" She tore the poster from the wall and showed it to the woman... And just as she'd thought, in clear, large, red letters: **WANTED**.

The drawn portrait they used for her wasn't very flattering. And Ruby had obviously blinked for her photo, likely taken from school records... Perhaps that was a good thing, if nobody knew her eye color it would be far harder to tell who she was once they'd properly disguised themselves.

As they neared the apartment, it was clear that getting inside was going to be impossible. There was a full investigation team there, and soldiers guarding every entrance to the building, so she headed the opposite direction as soon as she scoped the place out, poor Ruby shivering behind her as they left.

"My toes are freezing," Ruby complained when they'd finally slowed to a stop. They were in the alley behind the shops again, and Cinder was looking around constantly, her ever watchful gaze on the move for any soldiers that might happen upon them. She was glad they weren't using the airships to search the streets yet... Perhaps they assumed it would be easier to find them than it really would be? In either case, it wasn't hard for Cinder to melt an entire door handle, and open their access up to one of the clothing shops normally reserved for tourists. She felt no remorse for whatever poor shopkeeper they ended up stealing from, but Ruby managed not to complain once her toes were in some fresh, long socks, the first thing she'd went for. Sitting on one of benches used for trying on shoes, she flexed her cute toes at Cinder and the Maiden sighed, approaching her lover. Her hand moved along that lovely leg, and the little "o" that Ruby's mouth made showed her confusion when Cinder began to pull off her skirt.

"You need to change completely," she explained, nearing her ear to whisper to her, but Ruby watched her carefully with those shimmering eyes, mirroring the light pouring in from the street lamp outside in the darkness. She touched Cinder's cheek, and kissed her forehead as she helped remove her undergarments... Cinder would have loved to act on the fact that she were now devoid of anything covering her lower body save some rather flattering socks, but the situation didn't allow for it... Instead, she kept to enjoying Ruby's careful caresses as she removed her shirt for her next... Ruby pushed up against her and they both stood, Ruby removed Cinder's dress with one lift of her arms, and together they looked over one another's naked forms as they waited with blushing cheeks and rough breath, coming together in an embrace and a kiss.

If only the world would have left them alone for a few days longer...

The dim light filtered over their pale skin as they clung to one another, scared, tired, cold... they had only each other now, but at least they had something...

"Time to play dress up, I guess," Ruby stated, and began rummaging through the racks. Cinder wasn't picky, she grabbed some form-fitting denim pants, an equally blue denim jacket, and a simple black shirt to go underneath. It didn't look particularly good, but that wasn't the point; instead it was made to be as far from her usual dresses as possible. Ruby was getting too in to deciding on her new outfit, and after a moment of frustration, Cinder was relieved when she finally put on a blouse and a long school skirt. Perfect, she looked just like some student, but her hair...

She found a plain hoodie for Ruby to cover her hair with, it would also help hide her scars... And for herself... She wasn't sure. Her eye wasn't in tact, it would be impossible to hide that fact without her hair, changing anything like that would be a bad idea...

"Here," Ruby offered, and handed her a navy blue scarf with the Beacon logo on one end. It would have to do. She wrapped it about her mouth and made sure the fringe of her hair was tucked underneath. It wasn't perfect, but it would do... Part of her wished her breasts were smaller, like Ruby's, she would've been able to pass for a male if she'd really tried, but her chest was too big for that, so she knew this would have to do. When they were finally clothed, they took to the streets once more, heading toward the outskirts of the city, where the Grimm would likely be waiting in one of the few red zones still left. That would be a better hiding place than anywhere in the safe zones... They were a bit TOO safe now, she thought, wishing she had the time to chuckle at her own joke.

At least they had each other...

Elsewhere, as fingers pushed aside the curtain gently, a man watched from his window as the soldiers marched.

"Rennn... Come back to bed, it's cold without you," Nora stated from across the room, it was so late, why was he up?

"I'm worried, Nora," he said, and turned toward her, his angled eyes were obviously showing it. In fact, his eyes, as lovely as they were, were often the easiest way to tell how he was feeling, at least for Nora, considering she'd known him their whole lives... The girl pouted, but she stood, and walked over to him, grasping his hands, giving them a squeeze.

Nora always knew just what to not say, Ren thought, her lack of words and simple action did much to calm him down inside, even if his outer demeanor usually left him calm anyway.

"I know there's nothing we can do right now," he said to her, and her bright smile, those rosy cheeks, that curious tilt of her head... He just didn't want to see her, or anyone, get hurt.

"They're already looking for Ruby and Cinder. I just hope they got out in time... This place is going to turn into a war zone," he said, and turned back toward the window, his hands retreating from her grip. The hammer-girl instead followed his retreat, and he closed his eyes as he felt her chest press up against his back, her arms reach about his waist, pull him closer... Her head rested against his shoulders, and he knew why... Nora always grew this affectionate whenever he was troubled, a redeeming quality to say the least. He crossed his arms, and her cheek nuzzled against him.

"Awww... You're so cute when you're gloomy," Nora stated, and he frowned at the window.

"And why aren't you worried?" he questioned, wiggling to loosen her so he could turn to face her again. She stepped onto her toes, and kissed him firmly, causing surprise to wash over him. They never really kissed very often, and to be blind sided with one had him momentarily disoriented, a tactic she usually reserved to shut him up. But the sly grin he got when she pulled back told him she wasn't worried at all, not one bit.

"I have you," she stated simply. He couldn't help but smile.

Heavy plodding through the snow kept their breath rolling quickly, and the blonde and the faunas fled through the trees. Yang and Blake slid to a stop along the edge of the forest when they'd broken free of it, and gazed over the rest of the city they'd been working so hard these past weeks to save. From their vantage on the hill they could see it. Vale was swarming with Atlas, there were fires in some places, and big walls were being errected with their machines...

"They're trying to build a prison!" Blake shouted, and Yang gritted her teeth at the word. Vale was certainly starting to look like one... Whoever that... Woman was, her sick idea of protection wasn't exactly going to sit well with the Huntsmen.

"That's still not a good idea, Blake," she stated, and the faunas made a noise of frustration as her arm swung at the air.

"What do you expect of me? I can't live that lie!" she retorted, and Yang rubbed at her chin as she thought it over.

"I'm just not comfortable with asking a terrorist group for help, Blake, even if their leadership has changed!"

Blake's frustration grew deeper, and she gave Yang a rough shove against her shoulder, causing her to step back in the snow, her foot sliding slightly as she frowned at her partner.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouted, and the girl's ear twitched with her agitation in response.

"Me? What about you?! Atlas comes in, takes over our city, and now you're saying we SHOULDN'T ask the one group we know of who can resist it? You don't get it do you?" she turned on her heel and walked along the snowy ridge, her hand gesturing over at Vale and it's current transformation process.

"Vale's no more, Yang. Now it's just more Atlas. They're taking the whole place over. They're going to kill people. They're going to...!" Yang grabbed Blake's shoulder and spun her around, her metal hand landing on the other side, squeezing gently.

"Blake! That's not going to happen! If you want to talk to the White Fang, then fine, but... I'm not going to let this happen," Yang stated rebelliously, and Blake sighed, her catlike eyes staring at Yang's convicted, unwavering gaze.

"How can you be so sure you can?" she asked, and the one-armed Huntress gave her a smirk, that attitude shining through.

"We're here together, aren't we?"

They shared a knowing gaze, one that allowed their true feelings to seep in. While they weren't in love, they certainly loved one another, they'd been through everything together and separating now wasn't about to happen.

"So call your contact. We'll go and meet them. Maybe they actually can help us? I hope Weiss is all right..."

The white-haired woman gestured to the cup on the mohagony table, the steam rising slowly from the contents spiraling through the air until it evaporated completely.

"You haven't even touched your tea, Weiss," Winter stated, her gaze seemed somehow... Distant, even when she looked right at the girl, and Weiss rubbed her arm with her hand nervously.

"Winter, I just don't think this is such a good idea..."

"Nonsense!" she said, a bit harshly, and Weiss winced slightly at her sister's tone.

"This is precisely what Vale has always needed, a good, solid backbone. We're here to give that to them. Surely this isn't something terrible? You've seen the attacks recently yourself, haven't you?" Weiss nodded, and raised a finger, opening her mouth to add a protest to this fact, however Winter cut her off and continued.

"All we are doing is annexing Vale into the Atlas Republic, so we can keep the people safe. Atlas provides, we've brought food, peacekeepers, stability..."

"With their boots and borders on top of us? What you brought is a dictatorship!" Weiss screamed suddenly, and stood, slamming a hand on the table. General Ironwood, whom had been standing behind Winter, turned around and frowned at her.

"That is a lie and slanderous, I would watch your tone, girl," he stated gruffly, and she glared daggers at him.

"The Huntsmen aren't going to stand for this, just roll over, let you take over everything..." Her words didn't seem effective, not at all, Winter just sat there sipping her tea. After a few seconds, she looked up at her sister.

"The Huntsmen are no longer needed," she stated, "the strength of the Atlas Armada will more than make up for any lack of pathetic fighters that the overrun Beacon still clings to. Everything has to end, you'll soon find." Her callous indifference was growing on Weiss' nerves, and as she sipped her tea again, Weiss leaned over the table and slapped it out of her grip, shattering the fine china on the floor.

"Then if I'm not needed, I suppose I'll simply take my leave. But you, Winter... You're dead to me," she stated, and stormed out, leaving her apathetic sister and the General behind. Their airship smelled of the sheep in their army, those who clung to their authority like a fly on a light bulb... All the technology in the world couldn't make somebody see why their ways were wrong. Weiss had more important matters to attend to, though, namely procuring more evidence to support her case against Winter and Ironwood. Until now she hadn't gone to the streets, no, when her sister had shown up she'd been summoned like usual... She couldn't believe they'd asked her to give up Ruby's location. She was sure it was by the grace of her blood that they hadn't simply tortured it from her, the barbarians...

Ironwood ran a hand over his chin.

"Don't worry, Winter. You won't need her where we're going. We'll do it together." She nodded without so much as hesitating on his words, and the laughter that filtered into the room as their leader arrived seemed to drip onto deaf ears, the wrinkled woman prompting both of them to salute.

"Won't this be fun...?" she said, and laughed once more as she stepped to the window, overlooking Vale... It was hers, now, wasn't it?

"If you would like it to be, glorious Mistress Honeydew," Ironwood stated, and she smirked. "Good, good... Keep flattering me with your idiotic praise..."

As that hand slapped the cup from hers, Coco's protest fell silent as Velvet shushed her.

"Don't drink the water. There's blood in the water," she stated, and Coco frowned at her. What in the what, now? Velvet pointed over at the well she'd drawn the water from, and Coco leaned over to look in. Sure enough, at the bottom of the well something floated, a body, Atlas armor...

"Sorry, he snuck up on me an hour ago while you were looking for Fox and Yatsu. He was drunk, I'm so very attractive, and I think he was probably racist too, but even if he wasn't, he was racist to me anyway." Coco frowned and adjusted her beret, then picked up the suit case she'd placed by the water pump.

"I refuse to remain in regret," Velvet stated to Coco's little look. Atlas wasn't about to miss one single soldier and she was sure it wouldn't be the last man she'd have to take down. There was no sense in sugar coating it or ignoring the fact it happened, she'd murdered him for attempting rape.

"Well, I'm surprised he was so far out here, but if he was drunk then I guess it's probably why..." Coco looked around at the cabin they'd taken up refuge in on the outskirts of town, it was Velvet's grandmother's place... She'd been hospitalized recently due to her age, the whole place was empty.

"Guess I'll have to melt some snow," Coco sighed, retrieving her cup and filling it with the stuff, letting the warmth from her hands slowly break it down as she watched Velvet go about the task of retrieving wood from the pile on the side of the cabin.

"I hope Ruby's all right," Velvet stated, and Coco shrugged at her.

"She's the toughest of all of us. She'll be fine. At least for now, we've got each other, and that's something." Velvet wiped her brow, sighed, and gave her teammate a heavy nod.

Elsewhere, a drunk man stumbled, humming to himself. Oobleck of course had to stay away from him for now, all that bad luck was bad for the health, and even then... Well, Oobleck hated dealing with the drunk when he was up to his usual antics, and Qrow was certainly up to his usual antics.

"With the holograms beside me," he sang cheerfully as he walked up to the Atlas team, making a show of his lack of coordination as they began to bark orders at him.

"I'll dance alone toniiiiight!" They were telling him to stop singing, to go home, one grabbed him by the shoulder, pushed him... But when he didn't move, Qrow grinned in his helmeted face. It wasn't very long before there were pieces of soldier all over their own armored car, and Qrow, covered in their blood, continued singing as he wandered away. Atlas soldiers should really know not to touch a Huntsman like that...

"...And I'm just, a heartbreaker..."

If he didn't find Ruby soon, this was going to get far worse than any of them could understand...

A loud slurp filled the room as Oobleck chugged down his coffee, exhaling heavily as he brought it away from his mouth.

"Something I've begun to fear is about to change its form," Oobleck stated as he looked to Goodwitch. She already felt it too, Atlas was turning into the thing they'd hoped it wouldn't; the power it possessed was simply shoved over them like a bag over the head of a hostage. Glynda sighed and watched him closely as he drank up his coffee out of probably anxiety, he even poured more from the machine. They were still waiting on the authorities showing up at their door, the Headquarters was a fairly known location and she knew soon they'd be hearing from their sudden oppressors.

"We'll have to lie a lot," Glynda mentioned, and Oobleck nodded, "We'll have to say things like... Don't resist, Atlas is great, whatever it is they want. But if we can see what this is all about then it will be worth it," she stated, and Oobleck nodded.

"No doubt this has suspicious written all over it, the timing is impeccable. We'll have to keep our heads about us, Miss Goodwitch, and you'd better not let that General Ironwood take advantage of your emotions..." She frowned at him at the mention of the man, but turned up her nose.

"Beacon comes first, and that means you and I."

Out on the street, in certain parts of the city there was chaos as the raids on homes started.

People in every direction, no words exchanged, no time to exchange as they were thrown into the streets, their homes ransacked, searched. The families of Huntsmen, or other suspected collaborators, already in the wee hours of the morning reports were coming in of dead Atlas soldiers, a particularly gruesome scene had been found by a patrol, Atlas soldiers butchered into pieces like cattle and strewn about their own vehicle. They were still finding the chunks of flesh on that street.

But among the chaos there was a figure which moved, slowly, surely, the smoke wafting from the cigarette in her lips lending a blending effect with the crowd as Raven moved through it.

Her daughter, she was sure, had already left. Good. But Raven only ever showed up where she needed to, and the place to be right now? Well, wasn't that just this grand stage set before her? She took another long drag on her smoke, she should've never let Qrow get her started on the habit in the first place. She kept to the shadows and crowds, watching, biding her time. She'd begun to figure out what this was all about, by now, surely she'd seen the signs. So too, had Qrow, she knew her brother wouldn't ever miss this for the world. It was only a matter of time before Atlas had become a rogue element in Remnant, and missing the party wouldn't be worth the time...

"And all the little ants are marching," she whispered to herself as she watched the line forming of soldiers herding people they didn't particularly like for who knew what reason down the street and toward their compound. Maybe she'd need to take a trip and fetch that loathsome ex of hers? This could get interesting...

But what would she tell him?

"Heard the world is ending soon, I assumed that they told you?"

She dismissed the idea and instead flicked her smoke to the side, and turned to leave before they herded her in with all the cattle too.

She passed a guard, standing out front of a house with his other guard buddy, and caught a bit of his conversation.

"Because it's not my job to worry or to think..." The words drifted with her as she went, surely enough that was true, right? Soldiers, paid to act, to follow orders, not to worry about the citizens, not to think about what they were doing...

"Children are taught on their knees to believe," she muttered to herself, stepping into an alley, and then a portal, and she was gone.

As Weiss returned to the streets, she saw first hand her suspicions were correct. They were turning the place on it's head, shops were being cleared, homes raided, people relocated... Sporadic gunfire alerted her to occasional conflicts...

Already some of the citizens must have decided to fight it, she saw a picture of her father on one of his ads for the Schnee dust company, somebody had crudely sprayed paint over it, the words "War is money bastard", a statement that they were sure of his profit from all of this. The amount of Dust the army likely had purchased before coming here certainly wasn't going to be a small amount, either... She saw more graffiti as she went, the statements of the people.

"Hope is all that you can steal," one read, another, "Go back to Atlas!"

"Rob the bank of Vale and Atlas!" one said, and another, "Take me home!"

She had to find Ruby before this got any worse... She used her glyphs to propel her self down the road, and after a moment she noticed she was being chased by the soldiers in their armored cars, they had a speaker proclaiming the use of Semblance as being illegal... What the hell was Winter doing?! It wasn't hard for her to evade them, but she'd grown scared... The people, like fish, lay in dirty water, dying...

Humming to herself as she sat by the window, legs kicking back and forth, Penny watched the streets below from the airship. What was all the commotion about, she wondered? It looked like a party down there! And she wasn't invited, no fair... The General had told her she wasn't to be seen out on the streets yet, that it was almost time for her to fulfill her purpose, but... Well, she wasn't quite sure what any of that meant. She wondered if Ruby was having fun at the party that Atlas seemed to be throwing for Vale, it sure looked exciting from way up here... She sighed, leaned on the window, and blinked her robotic eyes. If only she were allowed to join them...

 **[Author's Note: BOOM! Finally got back to writing! Admittedly, it's not really the best chapter, but it was fun to write! Also, the followers/views: AMAZING. No really it's just so great to have such a lovely response to this story, as it is fairly intricate, takes time to plot and think and write about, so having my work appreciated with your lovely eyeballs is just wonderful. I haven't been feeling very good lately, and I had a heavy deal of writer's block because of my foul moods, so it's nice to get back to it again. The most I managed before today was a tiny start to a story about Madison from Class of 3000, so check that out if you're a fan, cuz nobody's really reading it likely because that show never had a very big run or whatever. It's grim fairytale fantasy if that interests you~**

 **Anyway, so as you can see, fascism has bared its ugly head in the world of RWBY, and now the people of Vale are going to find themselves in quite the predicament. But who is the mysterious Mistress Honeydew, and what's up with Winter and Ironwood? Gasp, mysterious! And even then, wtf evidence did Qrow find that was so important? Will he find Ruby and tell her the news? WHERE DID NEOPOLITAN'S CREW GO?! So many questions!**

 **But now the real question for you readers: Do you want to see more Nora/Ren? Because they are the only other pairing I've been actually wanting to write romance for, but at the same time this series is devoted completely to Cinder/Ruby as the focus so it won't be anything big, but I might possibly give them their own chapter in the future. Nora's just so adorable. Not as much as Penny, sure, but hey... And speaking of Penny, what does fulfill her purpose mean? She's combat ready... ;D And wants to party? PART TWO SHALL TELL THE TALE AND HOPEFULLY BRING IN THE THRILLING CONCLUSION cuzseriouslyifdon'tendmystoriesatsomepointsomeone'sgoingtogetupsetthatitneverendedproperlyandIdon'twantthat]**


	16. Chapter 16: Dancing

**[WARNING: Because I'm a nice guy, I should tell you this chapter is graphic and contains trigger-able stuff about death and yeah. If you're still reading this, you should expect it to get far more violent and descriptive than even this chapter, so if you're active of imagination but also at the same time weak of stomach then tread lightly cuz that combo might backfire on you if you picture this stuff too intensely. I love you anyway, though, and this story is for my readers who might have to find the red flags to prevent these problems at some point in the future. Cheers!]**

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 16: Dancing**

As the duo walked through the streets on the outskirts of the Atlas militarized zone, Velvet paused with Coco every so often to snap a shot of her in a pose. Her outfit was quite nice, as always, but the actions were just a ruse, a cover... Her stylish handbag, after all, and her unique camera... They certainly were clandestine weapons for a situation like this. It was cold enough on the wet streets that Velvet had no qualms with donning one of Coco's berets to hide her ears, as much as she usually hated folding their softness up. It cramped like wearing earmuffs for a human, eventually she'd be forced to release them or suffer aches for the next few hours.

Their cover worked, the soldiers ignored them long enough that they could move among the dislocated populations and other crowds that had set up just outside the walls of their operation, and with every picture Velvet snapped, they gathered more and more information about their enemy and the state of Vale as a whole. Things didn't look very good. The estranged populations of the inner city weren't comfortable in the lesser accommodations on the outer edge of town and while they were given supplies from the Atlas troops, it didn't fulfill all of their needs in the slightest.

A series of open markets and supply centers had been created by the citizens, their ramshackle tents and stalls proclaiming the fact that they had been stripped of many of their own belongings in the relocation processes. Behind the large wall, they could see the converted City Hall, and nearby, looming over the other building, was the converted school, the academy for non-Huntsmen which the leader of Team CFVY was certain would be used as a prison pending the occupation.

When they'd skirted the guarded gate that all of the armored vehicles seemed to be deployed through in large convoys, they searched the side streets for any sign of a secondary entrance or way they could break in.

"Coco, I'm not sure about this," Velvet said, her hips swaying in her exotic faunas stride as she followed along behind her team leader.

"That's just the fear talking, darling," the fashionista replied and gazed over her shoulder, head cocked, eyes peering just over her glasses with a smile. Her confidence always boosted Velvet's own, and she nodded seriously, but continued to follow along.

"It's time to make a statement of intent," Coco stated to her, and Velvet gulped, the way she'd said that shook her spine. Coco never spoke so seriously unless something momentous was occurring.

They slipped inside through a grating in one of the buildings used as part of the exterior wall, it had been easy for Coco to remove with her own bare hands, her tremendous strength not at all apparent by her slender form, but such was the nature of Semblances. The building was mostly empty, used for storage it seemed as the office space hadn't been needed by any of the administrative personnel. Coco and Velvet both dropped from the ceiling and quickly exited the building onto the streets inside the compound. Sure enough, there were still citizens here; the rich, the traitorous, the ones just trying to save their own skins... The collaborators to the Atlas invasion of their government, most likely, the people that the invaders definitely relied on to progress their regime's control... Blending into them was even easier than outside, and they continued their cover, photographing around the compound, making a half-circle around the back side, away from the main entrance and the soldiery.

Coco had made a critical maneuver as they were making their exit, however... They neared a patrol of guards, and Coco broke into poses on the street corner as they walked passed slowly, while Velvet photographed her with the soldiers in the background. It wasn't hard for the men to notice the flashes, and as they stepped closer aggressively, one of them shouted at them.

"What are you doing?! Photography is prohibited by her Grace, Mistress Honeydew!" He placed his rifle into both hands for emphasis, though the barrel was pointed still toward the ground, and Velvet grew guarded. She hated Coco's plans... She wasn't confident like the other woman, but it wasn't ever hard to let her do the talking.

"Why, we're just out for my latest photo shoot. Don't you know who I am?" Coco flaunted, and flipped her hair with a loose wrist to drive home the air of importance. The soldiers looked between one another for a moment, and one of them shrugged, but the leader, the one speaking to them, whom wore markings on his armor, he didn't seem much to care who she was what so ever.

"Should I?" he responded gruffly, the mustache poking out from under the edge of his helmet scraping against the metal ever so slightly as he spoke. It grated on Coco's nerves, he lacked any sense of style... Their uniforms were atrocious, and what's worse, they didn't know who she was! Although, that particular fact played perfectly into this exact situation...

"Well, perhaps you should remember the name Coco Adel, world famous super model, next time you cross my path, you filthy peasant! My photographer and I will let your superiors know about this. Come, dear, let us exit, stage right..." She turned to her left, and toward the alley they could use to leave the compound. The two privates that followed the sergeant behind them were murmuring between one another, but their officer shouted for them to stop as the two of them sauntered off. He called for back up. Coco was loving this, she strutted her stuff, looking fabulous as she turned the corner, Velvet nervously in tow. But the moment they broke line of sight, they had only seconds to get ready. Coco turned, stared at Velvet, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We must kill them all," she stated, suddenly serious, they had all the photos they needed, now they just needed to remove the last bit of witness to their act of defiance to the Atlas usurpers... And send a clear statement to their leaders.

Velvet nodded, but trembled. She'd been afraid of that. Coco intended to send a message after they'd cleared and gathered all of the information they needed, and she was party to it all. While this certainly didn't seem moral, she knew the purpose, knew why they were here and what they had to do... Their friends depended on it. The people here had to see they weren't safe. They had to know that Atlas couldn't protect them like they lied about, they had to know that there was a hope that this whole thing would see an end. And seeing as it was only day three of the occupation, now was a better time than ever. If they could see how quickly the response was by anybody fighting the occupation, they could gain their own sense of confidence, just like Coco's, they could rise up and take back their lands. Sure, it might start a war, but it was worth it to retain their freedoms... They'd seen what the Atlas idea of protection was... Stripped of their weapons, the people would be useless against the Grimm invasions in the future, they would depend on an inadequate army, on the hope that these simple soldiers could do away with their problems. The ones who bought into it surely believed such lies foolhardily.

The whispers in the civilian population were already getting worse; talks of tortures and disappearances, talks of mass shootings of entire city streets, talks of the smell of burning bodies... Everyone was so confused, nobody knew just how bad it really could be, yet. The sporadic gunfire drifting in from the red zones couldn't be investigated by just anyone, the Grimm were out there, lurking, waiting...

But when the soldiers stepped around the corner, Coco spun on her heel to face them, lowering her glasses along her nose, peering over them, raising an eyebrow.

"Can I help you? I already told you to leave us alone, your superior won't be happy for you disrupting us important people, now would he?" she questioned, and the man grew irritated but still seemed passive.

"Listen, lady, you've gotta turn over that camera right away. You're in possession of illegal pictures, and I don't wanna have to drag you down to the Detention Center." He stepped forward toward Velvet, but was stopped by a hand from Coco. She looked to Velvet, and in their proximity, just barely through the tint of her glasses the faunas could see her gaze. It happened now.

"Allow my associate to give you a taste of her camera," she said, and the look of confusion that washed over the Atlas soldier had her almost quaking with anticipation.

"...What?" he questioned at her wording, but as he did so, with a flip of a switch and movement of her hands, the camera projected a massive weapon, with rotating barrels and a drum magazine, it extended so far from her that the tip of it almost hit the soldier in the chest. It glowed blue, a deep, resonating light, and the barrels began to spin. By now, the other soldiers who'd been a part of the larger patrol had joined them to see what was going on, and as they raised their rifles, the Sergeant shouting to open fire, Velvet let loose the cannon, and it roared to life as shell after projected shell ejected from the side of it's incorporeal mass.

Coco's own weapon joined it not a moment later, and as the blazing dragons cut down the bodies before them like fish in a bomb crater, through gritted teeth they held their weapons steady, the streams of tracers flooding out onto the street as the alarm started to blare.

The ten or so soldiers in front of them stood no chance, they were reduced to nothing more than sponges within thirty seconds, the blood had sprayed just about everywhere, the pulped remains of the Sergeant collapsing to a heap of metal and flesh directly before them. Coco's barrel spun to a stop, the screams now filtering in over the lack of gunfire, as Velvet's copy of the rotary cannon disappeared. She clutched at her own mouth, about to vomit, surely, but held her constitution. Coco frowned, not phased in the slightest by the gore, but she stepped over the corpses as her weapon collapsed back into its case, and to the edge of the alley, looking out into the road where the rest of the soldiers had fallen in death. She peeked around the corner, the whole place had gone to hell. People scurried every direction, the soldiers trying to regain order while the response filtered toward them through the crowds.

"We've got to go, come on," Coco said sternly as she dragged Velvet away from the scene of their crime. She stopped once they'd turned just one more corner to let her empty her stomach, wipe her mouth, then she continued to pull her by the arm quickly, using her incredible strength to push her forward. In order to escape, Coco had used her knowledge of the area to plot a course to one of the most expensive designer clothing shops in town; it was inside the wall's perimeter, being part of the richer side of town, however the third floor, a suite dedicated to private fashion shows, held a clear path to jump to the building next to it and over the wall. They had to break a window to do so, but that didn't stop them, smashed by a briefcase and across the rooftops they went. As they stood over the edge of the wall of the inner compound, Coco stopped for one moment to marvel at the place... In just two days they'd turned the whole thing into a massive concentration of soldiers and collaborators, outside they enforced total control... She looked down at the walls that flanked the building they stood on, fitted between existing walls on the streets. Giant, metal slabs dragged up and into place by cranes or men... It truly baffled her how they'd done this so quickly, but if they had the fanatic zeal... They left that place, with Velvet's precious camera with them. As soon as they could find somebody to give this information to, they would, but they hadn't heard a thing from any of the others yet, especially their own team mates... While they worried for them, Velvet and Coco both knew that they couldn't waste their time with such thoughts. Action was the primary resource with which they could change the course of this history being written.

They couldn't fail or it meant death for everyone...

As the ember burned at the end of the stick of dried herb held so carefully between Cinder's lips, she gazed out over the work of the Atlas troops, puffing at her cigarette, ignoring the sobs coming from beside her. It wasn't her job to comfort Ruby from reality; the scene before them was horrifying, but it was very, very real. Mangled corpses lie in heaps, row by row in the pit they stood at the edge of, their disguises looking far too pristine for the gruesome scene they blended in to.

To Cinder, the bodies looked like smokes in a carton; they lie flat, in neat stacks atop one another, the dissidents or undesirable scum that the elite didn't want around any longer... The educated, the poor, the unhealthy, the weak... It didn't matter what label they gave them, or why they were doing what they were doing, the only thing that mattered was that this was all happening, and it was all unbelievably real.

"How could they...?" Ruby choked, and as Cinder's lone eye strayed to her left, the scene was picture perfect. A crying woman, hand to her mouth, lamenting over the singular form of one small child lying in the mud... The snow lined the edges of the footprints in the dirt, falling gently all around them again, the towering wall of Secured Vale clashing with the white-grey sky above her. Those red-tipped locks, they'd been growing, no time for a haircut... They dipped just passed Ruby's ears, and as she shook her head and wiped her eyes, they swayed to and fro, catching Cinder's apathetic gaze as she followed them like a cat does a toy.

"Why not?" was all the quiet woman offered to her lover, a simple question, as deep in meaning as it was... Why not do this? Why not take over? They had the capability, they had already shown in the past the red flag of foreshadowing...

Cinder's mind drifted to what it must be like at the bottom of that pit, full of the twisted limbs and torsos now beginning to bloat and rot... The blood must've turned the mud red down there, the people on the bottom slowly crushed flat by the gravity of those whom died above them...

The countless bullet holes scattered amongst them even reminded her of stars in the night sky. Why was she sitting here, so unable to feel remorse for causing similar scenes? How could she not remember...? That room, full of the dead, all slain by her...

The touch of Ruby's body as she clutched hard at her arm snapped her back from her memory of that daring escape from her own slavery, she'd very nearly seen a taste of this sort of realism before taking her own life in her hands...

But Ruby's life now depended on her, she knew, and felt the steel within her grow with the bubbling hatred underneath her flesh. The heat coursed through her body, she could feel it... Neopolitan's touch was still there, that beast within her hadn't left, and this situation certainly wasn't helping to curtail it's inevitable return.

"Ruby," Cinder said, suddenly, bolstering her voice as soft as it was to sound at least some what impressively stern again.

"I know," she started, grasping the girl's cheeks and pulling her closer so she wouldn't have to strain her voice.

"It will hurt," she said, and her head tilted strangely, wobbling slightly as she looked into Ruby's eyes, searching them, reading her face.

"Nobody is safe," she reminded the Huntress next, and then pulled her, by her head, twisting her around and dropping her arms along those tense shoulders to pull Ruby's back against her chest, elbows locking her arms in place as her fingers deftly spread to touch to either side of her head and point her face directly into the scene of the murders.

"Look. Don't shy away."

Ruby's tears streamed down her cheeks as she gazed over the dirt-covered corpses, the looks on their face weren't of horror or fear... The face of the dead was one of stoic indifference, bewilderment, anguish.

"I don't want to..." she sobbed, but Cinder gritted her teeth and squeezed her hard, prompting a gasp and her body to go rigid again.

"You must!" Cinder practically shouted in her lack of ability to do so, her voice cracked and she coughed, then hacked harder, prompting her to release Ruby and clutch her sides. Ruby was frozen, however, her mind reeling at the thought of so many people that could've been walking upright. The stench was of course apparent, but she'd already reacted to it from a distance away, such was the odor that it drifted all around in every direction. Her face wore a visage of confusion, she had no idea how to react. The only thing she could think was a simple word.

"Nooo..."

And she fell to her knees. The mud between her fingers seemed almost insignificant to her, as she balled her hands to fists, it oozed between her knuckles, but it didn't even matter...

She was still here, still feeling, seeing and experiencing this... And everyone in that ditch wasn't.

"For someone who's already seen death, you sure know nothing," came Cinder's voice, a whisper in her ear, as the woman gently picked her up from the floor of this pain, letting her stand on her own but pulling her close. This time, when she sobbed, she couldn't control it, and it poured from her as a torrential rain soaks a forest in spring. This was the winter of her adulthood, Cinder thought, how odd that this would be such an event to finally pull some sense into Ruby's ignorant mind...

"If one isn't careful," Cinder whispered to her, "they will simply become a part of the water. Swept by the tide, out into the ocean..." She began to stroke Ruby's hair, so soft despite their lack of a nice hot shower in three days, sheltering themselves as they were in the red zones...

"This..." she continued, pausing to rest for a moment.

"Is what happens when you don't pay attention to the signs," she finished, letting Ruby's response of clutching at her jacket not phase her, the denim wasn't about to rip despite the force at which the girl pulled at her. It really was effecting her deeply, she knew, but the sooner Ruby lost this childish mentality, the better. She already had scars on her cheek, after all, there was no more innocence in this world left for her to experience... Except, perhaps, love.

Cinder's stomach turned as she felt that blossoming throb in her heart. It was so sickening, yet sweet... Like a flower rising out of this hellish waste, sitting atop a curve in the mud, rising brightly toward the grey sky, seeking only the barest of faint, background light...

"One moment," Cinder idly thought aloud, voice soft like rain in Ruby's ear, "you're eating pastries..."

The memory filtered passed her mind, of the bomb and the glass and the wooden splinters, the taste of her croissant and the screams of her contact as she bled to death...

"The next, it's over. But things like this don't happen over night... They creep, slow, crawling..." Her fingers skittered up Ruby's spine, causing her to shudder, pull closer, bury her face into that ample cleavage for simple comfort.

"They come from the left, or the right. People never understand where... It's very simple," Cinder paused again, and took a breath, her nerves frayed as her anxiety began to seep in. Her cigarette burned forgotten between her fingers, until she finally needed another drag, and she did so, then flicked it over Ruby's shoulder into the sea of dead.

"That word... 'they'," Cinder spoke, her tone suddenly lower, more gruff, she spoke solely from experience, "is an illusion. They, in this case, are at the top of the pyramid. A small group of elites and powerful people." She let it sink in to give her voice time to rest so she could continue such a prolific, long thought...

"The ones with connections. All it takes is that they decide to work together, for their own benefit, and then they leave out... You. Us. Normal people without apathy." Another pause was all she needed, now her throat grew sore, however it would all be worth it to make her see...

"They don't even have to see this. This is all done by You. Us. We, the people." Now her grip tightened, she tugged the Huntress against her chest hard, surrounding her, holding her safe.

"The only thing it would've taken... Is a little bit of fight, or for nobody to accept the orders... But why, then, do the Atlas troops obey? It's also simple. They just think what they're doing is right. Brainwashed by those elites... They obey. All it takes is not to listen. Why do others kill on the whim of someone else...? Truth is, they don't, they make the choice, they pull the trigger..." Ruby croaked as her hug drew too tight, and she protested in her lack of breath, and Cinder sighed and released her, but as she took a step back Ruby simply found her again and held on. Cinder's arms slowly coiled back about her only source of comfort, she'd at least killed the edge of this frustration.

"I would be lying if I didn't say there aren't a lot of idiots out there," Ruby chimed in, and her head twisted to the side, ear pressed to Cinder's chest, listening to that beating heart as she looked over the wreckage of the outer city.

"I guess... I guess it makes sense. People think something wills it, but really, it's just themselves... Right?"

Cinder shrugged, sighed, but then slowly nodded.

"It only takes an idea that people latch on to. For this instance, Atlas Protects. The citizenry will allow this as long as they believe that. On the inside, I bet they trade insults to us... The Vale people are worthless to them, just a conquest."

Ruby backed away from her now, as both of their emotions slowly simmered, and with one last look over the scene of the horrendous crime against their very humanity, they turned and began to walk away. They wouldn't ever forget what they'd just seen, but right at the moment, neither of them thought about those lost souls behind them...

They thought only of rebellion, and of how to stop this.

 **[Author's Note: I'm wanting to relieve the tension in this story soon, so you all should expect a nice chapter with some romance in it soon enough. Probably another lemon somewhere, as well, but this all serves the purpose to show that even in horrible times like these or for instance the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia (do not look into this unless you're ready for what REAL fascism looks like) there actually does exist love in pure form and on the deepest levels and sometimes, it ends up turning into a fight to stay alive just so you can simply be with the person you want to be with. This almost goes double for the fact this is a gay couple I'm portraying, as although it will not be bothered into mention in this story; in real life, discrimination takes too many forms. Keep in mind, none of this has to do with "politics" - the idea of a fascist regime is simply a group of people (which definitely exist within preexisting political constructs as subversive elements) who decide to become independent as a nation might under one label and then they apply the opposite to anyone without such a label. For the Nazis, this was to become a Nazi Party member, for example. Anyone who was not a member was seen as lesser, and eventually it was deemed mandatory so you simply had to be a Nazi or were either ostracized or killed. In this story, however, I'm keeping it simple: Atlas took over Vale because they were convinced they were better, and Vale is shit in their eyes. Weak and worthless, ripe for domination. Easy as pie, no mental gymnastics required.**

 **But in reality, everyone plays that part in the machine, they convince themselves to become a cog in a wheel of death and drag our world back a few hundred years of social progression just because they're selfish and pitiful in constitution of mind. When you no longer think for yourself, but are still convinced you are thinking for yourself, what are you to do? It's as simple as this: eyes must be opened. That's why this story has taken this turn, and this was planned from the start; when I was watching RWBY I saw the red flags of fascism all over the Atlas people. But the fun part is there's even another layer: Neopolitan and her crew. Where are they on the scale? Rebels? Fascists? Simple criminals? This world we live in is hardly black nor white and in most cases a clever shade of grey is required to describe things. This is what my studies of history and fascism have granted me, the ability to understand why people do what they do to one another, and most often? Their ideals aren't really necessarily wrong. When mass exterminations happen, like what's been seen thousands of times in China, it's usually because of a belief that some bad part of society should be removed. I believe this is true; bad parts of society should be removed, which is why I hate fascists and believe they should all go to the worst part of hell. So please, think for yourself, don't be a fascist and sign on or settle for anything anyone is dishing out but your own mind.]**


	17. Chapter 17: Anticipation

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 17: Anticipation**

The heavy footfalls of boots in mud were all that accompanied the shouts of the soldiers as they went about their business, Ren stared from the window like a hawk on a branch as he watched it all happen. He'd been holed up here with Nora for the last week, waiting, looking, watching, hoping that somebody might contact them so they knew what to do, where to go, who to trust again... Instead, they'd been isolated, they'd not heard a thing, however the news filtered in slowly from various places that a rabbit-eared Faunas and a fancy sunglasses-wearing model had been tearing up soldiers whenever they could find them.

Velvet and Coco were doing the work that Nora sorely wished she could do, and even now, she stood at the window by his side proclaiming how many victims her grenade launcher could take with them from this vantage point.

"All I'm saying is two well-placed shots and those Atlas kooks would be done for good," she grumbled, the red-haired vixen's voice surely pulling no authority with her typical adorable jaunt.

"Two well-placed shots later and this building won't be standing anymore," Ren reminded her, and leaned over, kissing her cheek. The Valkyrie sighed, but leaned into it, grateful they hadn't been raided or taken, separated from one another. Ren was a smart cookie, Nora thought to herself when she remembered that he'd signed the lease of this apartment in his parent's names, deceased as they were it was more than enough on the books to keep anybody from coming to snoop on them.

"What do you suppose has happened to Jaune?" Ren questioned now, as Nora's mind filled with thoughts of pizza; she was hungry and their usual diet had been cut down by the occupation.

"I mean if they put pepperoni on it..." she mumbled, and Ren shook her by the shoulder.

"Jaune, Nora?" he questioned again, ignoring the spaced-out look and the drool he got in return. She was a lost cause.

"Nevermind... We'll try to get you some pizza today," he stated, as if reading her mind, and Nora perked up at the mention of the only sacred object left to her; delicious, cheesy pizza. If the Atlas soldiers hadn't eaten it all already, Ren would be suprised, they were only handing out rice to the citizens at the dislocation camps... Their stores of canned food were dwindling here where they'd holed up, he supposed that tonight they would finally have to leave this place... Nora he was certain would enjoy this fact.

"Nora," he started, and grasped her by both shoulders to point her glazed eyes at himself, shaking her to wake her out of the food fantasy she was having. She stared at him, a bit upset about her thoughts being interrupted, but she knew she had to listen to her lover.

"We're going out tonight," he said, his eye sharp and his words even more so, they dug into her with all the seriousness that Lie could manage. Her smile faded, and she nodded, curtly, meaningfully. Such a proposition wasn't to be taken lightly. When Ren sighed and turned away, she followed him, clung to his arm.

"We'll be okay," she reassured him, but the fancy-clothed Huntsman didn't know this for certain.

Elsewhere in the city, two fugitives remained, and Cinder was enjoying herself more than she had in months.

Finally out of that stuffy Vale, and into the thick and heavy reality of the red zones, she hunted Grimm for sport and protected her own; the two of them out here without weapons, the only protection they had was her bare hands, her abilities... As she burned away her latest victim, a Beowolf that had come snooping on a sleeping Ruby, the ash filtered through her fingers and she smiled.

This was her element, the real world, without all the cushions and couches and drama... Out here there was nothing but survival, kill or be killed. She stepped back inside the dilapidated building they'd turned into a safe house, closing the door behind herself quietly as she observed her still-sleeping counterpart. The innocence that had washed over Ruby's face chilled her fiery passions, before she'd come back in her urge to commit arson had been rising. Rather than burn down the building, though, she drew one of the dusty cigarettes she'd found out from the denim pocket of her jacket. Without a lighter, she instead used a finger, touching it gently to the end of the stick of dried herbs, breathing deep the fumes of the spoils of her adventures.

It had been a whole week since Atlas arrived and soon she was sure they'd sort out exactly who needed to be gutted and who was a collaborator... The death squads fired their rifles every so often nearby and they could hear it. The body count was rising, still... There were some few hundred thousand citizens in Vale, but already she felt as though a good portion of them were dead. In reality, it wasn't many, maybe five percent of the population, however the pits reeked far more than the statistic, and without weapons there was nothing they could do to stop the additional casualties.

They had no news out here. They weren't even sure their allies were alive, friends as Ruby would probably call them. But this wasn't what worried Cinder, what made her smoke, and as she took another drag of her cigarette she stared down at the cherry-red of the burning ember. Briefly contemplating pressing it to her own wrist to check if she could still feel, she instead let her shaking hand bring it back to her lips, and the smoke wafted gently along in the air.

"A far cry from the glory days," she said sarcastically to herself, quiet as she was she didn't wake Ruby as she walked back inside.

Her memories filtered back to those times she'd seen this all before; the gang what took her murdered, lying in pools of their own fluids as she walked free from their cell...

"I don't expect you to understand me, or why I needed this," she said to Ruby now, and hovered over her, hand hanging to the side to keep the smoke away from the girl. Her other hand brushed the bangs that hung in Ruby's face away, her soft skin made Cinder's eye water, it glistened in the lack of light with her emotions. Never in a million years could she have imagined this. She pulled the blanket over Ruby a bit more, and the little shift, the small smile that graced those rosy lips... It was worth it. All of this had to be worthwhile.

She looked around their shack. For lack of a better term, the place was indeed a dump. Rubble piled one side of the room, the other was stocked with what they'd scavenged from the ruined buildings out here in the outskirts; canned food, bottled water, some fresh blankets, random tools...

This wasn't a life she'd have wanted for Ruby, but since they were busy making due, her lips slowly twisted into a smile.

This was so much better than that shitty apartment.

Putting out her cancerous stick and saving the halfie for later, she slowly approached her sleeping lover and sidled into bed next to her. The little sigh she got as she pulled that lovely body to hers made her echo with one of her own, just happiness now, the smell of roses, the soft hair against her face as she buried herself into Ruby's form...

"I love you," she whispered for only herself to hear, even as the loud speaker in the distance barked more orders for the Atlas troops.

She lay like this for a time, just lying there, sleepless... Until a commotion outside grasped her attention and wouldn't leave it alone.

She could hear a pack of Grimm fighting over... Something. Food she was certain, but the weirdest part was the voice that occasionally filtered in through their howling and yapping. She stood from where she lay and went outside again, making sure to seal the entrance behind herself as she stalked off into the night.

The growling and scraping only worsened as she neared the street the Grimm seemed to be occupying, and she pulled up tight to the corner of a building so she could peek around. The human voice that growled right along with the Grimm caught her attention now as it's frustrated yelping added to the sounds of the pack; Cinder's eye went wide as she observed it... Among the Grimm there was a little girl, dirty and ragged, reminding her of every bit of her own childhood. The Grimm didn't even seem to care; the Beowolves were fighting with her over scraps of food, a dead rabbit.

Cinder quickly jumped into action, though, her reflexes and her mind sharp and telling her what she wanted. She torched the lot of the Grimm, the girl scampered, fled as it happened, but Cinder went after her. Cowering as she was cornered, with her bloodied bits of fur and meat in hand, staining her dirty fingers, Cinder approached her slowly.

"Hello," she whispered in her hoarse voice, inching ever closer to the girl, who grunted at her to stay back, and brandished a sharp rock. While it might be able to stab someone, she knew there wasn't even a possibility of such a weak weapon harming her... And stepped closer.

"It's okay," she urged, though the grimace on her face lied outright of her own feelings on the situation. It was at this time that she suddenly envied Ruby, able to sleep tonight as she was, for Cinder life was a tired, blurry mess and this moment was no different.

"I'm Cind..." Her voice trailed off as she realized how imposing her own name seemed, and she gritted her teeth. What had to be done, had to be done...

"I'm Cindy," she stated bluntly, distaste on her mind using that abhorrent nickname. But it was better than one that evoked fire and brimstone to a defenseless child...

"I won't hurt you," she continued, and moved ever closer. The girl's matted hair obscured her face, the sullen white and pink dress she wore looked out of place in the mud and grime. How had a child ended up fighting with the Grimm? How was it she was ignored by them like she were one of them...?

Cinder's mind reeled with the possibilities. This child was surviving, evidently all emotion had gone out the window, her sole focus was to live... The Grimm hadn't even registered her as a threat.

She'd been out here for weeks by the look of things. But when Cinder finally reached the girl and brushed back her hair, the shock of reality hit her; here was a child she'd thought long dead, but alas it was not true...

The memory of the stuffed toy this one used to carry, the bloodied carcass near it... It didn't make sense to her, but yet it did. She'd dropped her toy, and fled, somebody else had died that day right beside it. In all of this mess, this little girl had lived, and now she'd seen the harshness of the world first hand, just as Cinder had in her time... Cinder was suddenly beside herself, the miracle of this one still being alive wasn't lost on her in the slightest.

"Oh my..." Cinder breathed as her eye met the girl's... It wasn't very hard for her young brain to recognize the woman whom had saved her life. Cinder wasn't surprised when the tears came and the girl wept like anybody would, finally some form of relief in such a desperate situation... Cinder almost hated herself for not finding this child sooner. There was no protest when she scooped her up, and the disheveled, downtrodden girl simply clung to her... Still no sounds, save for the sobbing... The short walk back to their shelter didn't do much to ease Cinder's mind.

Depositing the child on her own bed, since she still insisted to sleep separate from Ruby most nights, the commotion still wasn't enough to wake the Huntress. Cinder was sure a bomb outside the window wouldn't even rouse Ruby. Now in safety, though, the girl reeled to take it all in... In a single moment, she'd gone from nothing more than an animal to being a person once more, and Cinder saw it on her face as she didn't seem to believe it right away. She looked around, her eyes wide, and that was when Cinder noticed it...

That hint of an aura, this child was no ordinary person... She'd survived because she was a Huntress... Just like Ruby. For a moment, she glanced between the sleeping woman and the dirty child, back and forth, wondering what to do. What was she to do? Obviously, she was above sending the child back out there to live that life... But would the sleeping beauty not wonder where she'd come from?

With a sigh, Cinder sat down against the rubble opposite the beds, supporting her back on a collapsed wooden beam.

Life had a funny way of catching up with her.

It wasn't long before the exhausted child had fallen asleep, and Cinder watched over her two charges, though the rest of that cigarette was wasted to calm her nerves at the thought of needing to care now for two people instead of just the one... In the morning, she thought to herself, she would ask the girl about her name. But for now, she let them both sleep.

Along the river the barge floated, and aboard it a fiery blonde paced the lower deck, until finally her partner reappeared, smiling to her.

"Blake!" Yang called, and the two briefly squeezed one another into a hug. It had been a couple days since Blake had disappeared to set everything up with the White Fang... Their Vale branch had fled the occupation, unsurprisingly, they were ready to leave the humans to their fate but the young cat Faunas had evidently turned back the handful of people who still yearned to see their home free.

"Everything's finally ready," Blake stated, and Yang nodded, mirroring her own grin.

"Those Atlas fucks won't know what hit them," the one-armed woman said, as she glanced over her shoulder at the White Fang soldiers who were cleaning their weapons, shouldering their gear, and the like.

"This boat won't hold up but it ought to give them a run for their money hitting those docks. I have to hand it to you, Blake, this idea is golden. If we can liberate Lower Vale then we'll have a perfect platform for the rest of the fight to kick out those invaders," Yang gushed, but Blake gave her a stern look after she was finished flaunting the perfect plan.

"You know it's not going to be that easy. And you know some of us will die," she said in the serious tone that Blake always adopted whenever anybody around her wasn't being so serious. No sense of humor, Yang noted long ago, but she shrugged it off as usual.

"It will be worth it to stop the other deaths," Yang replied, not really believing the statement herself, but it comforted Blake enough to note that there indeed was a cause behind her actions.

"I just hope the others are still all right."

Yang worried for her sister, but she knew that Cinder was a powerful being, now, what with her weird fire powers... She seemed reformed enough to keep Ruby safe.

"I'm not worried for anyone but Weiss," she said, and for a moment both of them reflected the same face; their white-clad friend's sister was one of the ones responsible for all of this. They'd both heard the speeches Winter was giving over news networks local to the region, the White Fang had been snooping on everything the moment it all went down.

"We'll find her. And your sister, too, Yang." Blake's hand found Yang's shoulder, just after she'd reached over to grab her arm, and pressed the locking mechanism into place, flexing her metal appendage.

"I hate that this thing is Atlas made," she stated, and clenched the mechanical fist, but Blake took her robotic hand, running their fingers together.

"It's just a tool," she said, and let her go, the blonde Huntress nodded at her.

"A tool that should break in a few Atlas faces. The satisfaction won't be lost on me." Blake chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Tomorrow," she promised, and the faunas turned, and left, and Yang stared at her mechanical hand.

"Yeah... Tomorrow..." The thought of what this would turn into haunted her as she stepped back to get her gauntlets ready.

 **[Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I posted a new chapter! I promise I will be posting more sometime soon but I've been very busy after I lost my job and moved houses etc. If you're a fan of my Loud House fic, that chapter has been in the works for even longer than this one, but I should get around to it soon. Thanks everyone for all the follows/favorites and views, they've been slowly skyrocketing ever since I started this project!**

 **The first bit of a webcomic I'm writing the story for is also almost finished! We have line art finally! It took like 3 months... Shiiieeet we suck lol**

 **Also to address the anon who left a rather ridiculous review somewhere: No I'm not an SJW nor do I use social media; I just literally fucking hate fascism. Like, I really hate it. There is current talk about war with North Korea and I'm screaming for them to do it already because it's 2017 how the fuck can we let a regime like that still exist?! Anyway. This chapter was supposed to have a sex scene but I decided against it because of the reappearance of the little girl from the initial Grimm invasion, which was originally going to happen a little later than this. I've got a lot planned for this story but I've been finding it hard to write about it in length so it's gunna be a gamble for you guys... One of the next chapters is going to be like way longer than normal and that will have another lemon cuz lemons are so loooong lol anyway yeah I hope you're all still reading this fic and I hope to get the story out faster/better soon! Ciao]**


	18. Chapter 18: Asphyxiation

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 18: Asphyxiation**

The black-haired faunas awoke with a start as the fog-horn blared, their cue to be on point. Yang stirred beside her, always the groggy one when woken up prior to 6 AM, however this three-in-the-morning raid wasn't meant for any sort of dallying. Tailored along by the disguise their ship wore, that of an Atlas tanker, the ferry they'd commandeered swayed gently along in the water as they sounded the blast to rouse the troops. The guise was simple enough, it was certainly foggy and as the ghostly clouds drifted along the water, Blake could see with her catlike eyesight the guard's parapets just ahead. A steel construction made from pre-fitted slabs, it stood almost like a massive version of a child's toy along the edge of the concrete that they'd erected it upon. The steel bulkheads, much like puzzle pieces, slotted against one another and made the whole thing stronger than anything they could throw at it.

But the towers weren't what plagued her. It was the contrast of the cannons, their dark barrels against the backdrop of misty white, those were what set Blake on edge as she stood from her place on the deck. Looking over the bulkhead, she saw the dark water below, knew that falling into that abyss would end anyone faster than they could swim ashore.

She gulped heavily as Yang finally came to enough to join her.

"We're here already?" she complained, and Blake's ear twitched.

"Get your weapons ready. Tonight is going to be one to remember," she stated, and Yang's demeanor shifted instantly. That tone, there was never any mistake when Blake meant what she said. Yang thought to herself how much she'd like to meet her partner's mother, lest she be anywhere near Blake's sharp personality, she was sure she'd take a liking to this Kali she'd heard so much about.

Yang raised both of her fists to show Blake that she'd already had her weapons primed and ready, both gauntlets loaded full, and that cocky grin upon her face.

"Atlas is about to get shrugged," she said in an attempt to be suave, but the flat look she received from Blake told her that her pun had fallen on deaf ears much like a command on a house cat.

"Watch my back," she said, and Yang nodded, finally pursing her lips and cocking her eyebrow as she peered into the distance.

There came a chime to rouse the guard of the lock in front of them, they were finally at the moment of reckoning. Either the ship's disguise would work, or it wouldn't, and they'd find themselves in a world of hurt. There came a commotion from the shore of the lock, and then a voice, shouting clear through the night.

"Halt! State your serial and rank!" shouted the captain of the guard, and both Blake and Yang exchanged a glance, biting their lips in anticipation.

"Serial number F52-0191!" came the response from the ship's captain, a man more or less strong-armed into helping the resistance.

"Rank?" came the immediate follow up, and Blake pulled back the slide of her pistol, raising it before her face in the darkness, looking where the mist obscured the lock-master and the Captain, exchanging their words.

"4-2 Lambda!" shouted the Captain, a designation neither Blake nor Yang had ever heard in a military context before. But sure enough, there was a grunt, and the bell chimed again.

"Let 'em through!" shouted the Atlas lock-master, and their ship slowly shook forward, rumbling as the engines struggled to maintain a low running speed, sputtering with their need for more Dust combustion.

The lock began to fill, raising them up to the level of the rest of the river, and the lake where Vale's port sat, ready to receive their assault.

"Here goes nothing," Blake said softly to her partner as they held onto the front bulkhead at the nose of the ship, ducking back behind the cool steel as the water began to rise. Everyone took their places inside, they could hear the minor commotion from below decks. Some of the White Fang soldiers were hiding against the bulkheads as they were, but not on the prow; alongside the cabin they lined the inner lengths of steel, hiding them from the spying eyes from both sides of the channel as they passed through. To everyone, the deck appeared empty, the two girls tucked in the front of the ship hidden too well from all but the worst backward of glances, however the guard were far too exhausted to think of such a precaution for such a small area of ship.

Their plan was working.

The moment the boat was clear of the lock and it was bound on the lake, the tone changed completely. Suddenly there was much hustle and bustle about the ship as the White Fang soldiers readied the defenses; guns were bared, uniforms removed, belts and clips loaded, everybody on high alert. In the dewdropped morning the darkness still reigned, and along the glassy lake they sailed, only the hum of the engines disturbing the peace.

It was time to show their teeth.

Perfectly on schedule, the engine revved up twofold, throbbing the deck under their feet as they prepared to storm the port. The sloshing wake of the boat foamed about them, parting before them the water roiled and hissed its protest. The prow of the boat tipped upward with the force of thrust suddenly applied to the engine, and together they all sped forward, the wind evident over the deck now as both females fought to control their hair.

"Damnit, they weren't supposed to punch it so hard!" Yang shouted over the sudden noise, and behind them they heard the bell again. A light drifted over the water, back, and forth, before it settled on them. The lock-master behind them was shouting over a loudspeaker as the alarm was raised.

Now Yang understood why they'd suddenly gunned it. But still, her blonde locks tangled about her in the ripping winds brought about by their speed, her hands unable to help her as she clung to the prow with determination not to slide backward along the tipped deck.

"Shit... Blake!" she called, and just as she did, the faunas yelped as something sparked and made a loud metallic ring as it bounced off of the railing she held on to, causing one hand to lose its grip. Stumbling, she fumbled for anything to grab on to, and found Yang's hair to be the easiest hold. When she snatched it, the blonde shouted in pain, even as the soldiers near them prepared themselves and the boat shifted to adjust to its newfound velocity.

As it straightened out more, Blake was able to release her partner.

"Oh..." Yang groaned in pain as she rubbed her scalp. Blake grimaced, and with the fist she still clutched her partner's mane with, pulled it outward. With another shout, Yang protested.

The blade she sliced through those locks had been sharpened for days, for this moment...

"Sorry Yang, but it's in the way," Blake stated as she released the handful of hair she now held, the entire bush of it blowing away in the quick wind. The tear on the corner of Yang's eye broke Blake's heart, but it was a worthy sacrifice to make if it meant they both stayed alive.

Just to be even, she cut her own shorter hair, its length could, too, get in the way. The effect was evident on Yang as she suddenly came to accept the loss of their glorious locks, it was the tribute they paid to this particular mission. Now, unabated by their flowing hair, they stood against the wind, watching through the fog as the lights of the harbor pierced into view.

The rattling of sabers, so it was, came from behind them as hammers slid into place, bolts were locked, clips jammed into place, or safeties flicked off.

Their attack was about to start! The sirens began to blare in front of them, they sounded like something from the old movies about the great war, like the airship raid warning blares, or the gunboat patrol sirens...

The first shot came from their side. There was no need to keep their cover anymore, but the absolutely massive shudder of the air about them caught Yang off guard and she tensed as the bomb shook her head, the cannon shell whizzing before them. It struck one of those metal towers she'd seen before, and the majestic blue of elemental Dust showered everywhere, coating the whole area in ice. She could see a man frozen inside, in a state of bewilderment, his limbs flailing away, but stuck in place by the magical properties of the attack. It was improbable that he would still be alive after the battle, suffocated under frozen water, of all things...

"Holy shi-!" Yang started, cut off by an explosion as the next shell fired from the second of the two cannons on their deck, this shot arching over a wall and disappearing... The effect was still evident, however, the giant fireball that rose over the wall, smoke and all, now evident in that direction above all things.

And as if from everywhere at once, the cracks of gunfire began all around them.

As soldiers lined their posts, alongside the entrances of Vale's larger marina, the blue and red and green and purple of tracer shells began to shower through the darkness. From both sides they came, piercing the night, whizzing back and forth and creating shouts of terror or pain, twangs of metal on metal, or Dust-based pops of smaller effect bullets. They hammered the boat everywhere, bouncing off or leaving their marks, the solid jackets creating holes in the bulkhead, tiny dots of ice or fire burning or freezing small circles all about the shorn steel.

"Return fire! Let 'em have it!" somebody was shouting, and, exchanging one last glance before battle, Yang and Blake huddled under the cover of the prow, nodding at one another. With a roar of determination, Yang suddenly burst forth to the deck, wheeling on her heel and letting her fists thrash at the air. With each slam of her fists on her invisible punching bags, she shot off a round, they careened into their targets like flares in a dark hallway; showers of sparks erupted from where they hit, small air bursts knocking their troops around without a doubt.

But Blake's mind wasn't on Yang's show, in fact, as she watched the fiery blonde, now deprived of her long hair; Yang unleashed hell but Blake's thoughts only wandered to the hell that those cannons might unleash on them in return... There was no time to waste.

"Keep them suppressed!" she shouted to her partner, who nodded, and continued unleashing hellish blasts at her enemies. A bullet bounced off of her metal arm, and she growled, but in a grin, unleashing twin shots with both gauntlets right where the flash of the rifle had come from through all that smoke and fog. The flashes ceased from that spot.

Blake leapt onto the nose of the boat, before she jumped off and onto the docks, narrowly missing as her heel landed over the edge, but her catlike graces shifted her weight to her toes. She rolled, and sprang back to her feet, pistol unleashing a flurry of bullets at the one target in her way, some poor soldier caught up in all of this. She looked back to see Yang receiving heavy fire, she had her metal arm up before her to block the sparks from her own eyes as they showered about her and she ducked down. From down on the docks she could see a heavy machine gun firing, it was peppering the entire front deck and there wasn't much anybody would be able to do to stop it, except maybe her... But still the guns she'd seen filtered into her mind, what was she to do?!

Looking between the boat and the docks, she made her decision split-second... All she'd had to ask herself, what would Ruby do? Yang was a big girl. She could handle herself. Blake had to take down those giant guns before they were used, or everybody was doomed, not just her partner. The bite taken out of her heart, however, as Yang called her name in distress... She'd never forget that, and as she set off to do what she could, her determination built within her...

"What was that?" Cinder thought aloud in a whisper as the thump of something in the distance reached her within their makeshift home. It didn't do much to disturb anything, until the impact afterward caused the room to shake and dust to scatter gently about in the air. Ruby stirred softly in the corner, from where she'd curled up with the girl... Their introduction had been simple. The girl wasn't using her words, Ruby had tried to get through to her, but...

But now, she guessed, it didn't matter. The two of them were in a pile of a sleepy mess when they woke up from the shells, Cinder knew what that sound was despite the distance... Somebody was using some serious heavy artillery.

"Ruby!" she breathed hoarsely, and shook the girl awake, once the red-tipped hair was brushed from her groggy face and she was able to stretch, Ruby paid as much attention as she could.

"What is it, Cinder? What's wrong? Don't wake her..." She looked to the girl beside her. They really needed a name for that thing, Cinder thought, but wondered again if naming something that could potentially die was a good idea. Shaking the thought from her mind, she clutched at Ruby's shoulders and shook her slightly to focus her, then held up one finger, eye turning toward the ceiling.

Another thump shuddered the air, and a couple seconds later, the ground shook ever so slightly again, bumping their bottoms and forcing dust to unsettle itself.

"Oh no... Is it Atlas?" she wondered, and the look of despair she got from Cinder made her heart sink.

"No, no, no, there's no way they'd blow up the city...!" Ruby stated, her optimism something to bolster Cinder given Ruby's currently dirty appearance. They'd both had awhile since they last were able to bathe, by now, but... Well, they were working on it.

"We have to see," Cinder said, thinking to herself that Ruby's statement was probably correct. It wouldn't make sense for them to destroy what they could easily dominate.

Despite the shuddering of the collapsed house they were surviving under, the girl in their charge continued to sleep.

"Leave her. She's safer here," Cinder whispered, then ducked suddenly as another explosion shook their walls. Ruby was quick to pull up in front of her and touch her cheek, calming her.

"They're not shooting at us," she said, and Cinder nodded, trying to fight the anxiety building up inside of her. In the field, it would be the thing that might see her dead... She had to stay calm. But her post-traumatic stress didn't ever agree with her when more stress came along.

Both of them left their shelter and moved out into the destroyed streets of the outer Vale remnants. Down the way, toward the greater Vale, they could see the flashes reflected along in the fog of the explosions they were hearing, the noises and sights of battle.

"What's happening?" Ruby questioned as they watched in the blowing wind, the early morning mist obscuring much beyond a few dozen feet before them.

"I don't know... But the Grimm will come," came the quiet response, and Ruby knew Cinder was right. This wasn't going to go unnoticed by the savage beasts...

"Let's go," Cinder stated, nodding toward Vale, and together they headed off, leaving the girl asleep behind them, alone... She would be fine for a short time, if she'd survived this long.

By now the cracks of gunfire back and forth across the Vale port were quite obvious to anybody in the city. As Ruby and Cinder neared the edge of the occupied Vale, they could already make out the noise of soldiers responding to the attack. But in the confusion of the sudden, early assault, none of their attention was on the two dirty individuals whom had dragged themselves out of the red zone.

This was just the moment Cinder had been waiting for. Somebody else had attacked, and now was finally their own chance to make a move.

"Ruby," she said softly as she stopped them outside of one of the hastily erected gates, her thin fingers landed on her lover's shoulder and for a moment her amber gaze held that silver one.

"What is it?" Ruby asked, and Cinder suddenly smiled, a smile that had Ruby's heart racing considering there was nothing Cinder had to smile about lately... It prompted her to reach out and gingerly touch Cinder's cheek, cupping it slowly as the devious miscreant formulated her thoughts.

The guard at the gate had responded to the attack, and flocked toward the port...

Without answering Ruby's question, the need for swiftness met Cinder's mind and she clutched at Ruby's hand, tugging her passed the metal barriers and into Vale. It was still dark, early morning, absolutely perfect timing. What was more, the belligerence and suddenness of the assault already had Cinder's mind running.

"Your sister," she said gently to Ruby, who's mind had not been anywhere close to her family for the last few days. Yang? Could she be the one responsible for this attack?

"She's too reckless," Cinder's chiding remark stung the hope right out of Ruby's eyes. But as they rounded a corner whilst she followed Cinder, those eyes were quick to rekindle their surprise.

Cinder had brought them to the apartment. As they stopped, Cinder drew Ruby close by both shoulders, hugging her gently in order to place her lips closer to her ear.

"Thirty. Seconds. You grab your scythe, I get my bow, and we leave. Very little time for anything else," she said in a serious tone, and Ruby nodded. Cinder pointed up to the window, and nodded back herself, then walked inside. Ruby's Semblance allowed her to easily get up and through the shattered window, despite the unnecessary "caution" tape, and as she unlocked the door, Cinder met her, and together they looked around the home they'd left in such disrepair.

But Cinder growled in frustration, pacing heavily across the floor as she searched about for her bow, and it was all Ruby could do to stand by and watch her in dismay.

"This was wishful thinking," Ruby said bashfully, it was evident that there had been some sort of investigation around the place, they hadn't even put the dish washer door back to where it belonged... She closed it and stepped through the kitchen, noting a broken mug on the floor where it had fallen from a cabinet.

"Confiscated!" Cinder yelped, squeezing her temples between her hands. She hadn't thought this far ahead; it was impossible to think so far ahead in this situation... They were here, but their weapons weren't. Outside the window the sound of footfalls on pavement reminded her that there wasn't enough time to gripe.

Entering her bedroom, she was quick to snatch the painting she'd made of Ruby from the wall. It was the only one of consequence to her, in her heart she felt such a heavy relief that it hadn't been harmed, it was almost enough to get her mind off of the problems they still faced. As she returned to the living room, Ruby was retrieving the broken remains of her old scythe from the wall of her own... When they met in the hallway, Cinder couldn't help but offer her a small smile. She shook her head, though.

"Put it down. Too bulky," she explained to Ruby, who's sad face practically broke her heart. She loved that scythe like a child, it was no wonder too, considering it had been sacrificed to save the Vale they now so desperately fought for together.

"One day," Cinder said so gently it pulled a single tear to the corner of Ruby's eye as she looked over the scraped red paint and mangled mechanisms of her sniper rifle... She couldn't have her old invention or her new one. Those soldiers... They'd taken it all.

Cinder flipped around the painting she held, which cut off the other woman's lamentation. As if to signal the event, a cannon went off in the background, and the boom of the shell landing a second or so later removed the smile from Cinder's face... However, Ruby lit up.

"Cinnamon will love it," she said, prompting Cinder to blink, eyebrow arching.

"Oh..." Ruby hadn't told her yet, so she broke the news to her now.

"That's what I named that little girl you found. Cinnamon. Fitting, right?" Cinder's eye softened, and she smiled yet again. Three in one day, Ruby was on a roll! But the kiss that followed it was far more fitting than any smile; as Cinder pulled her close her heart throbbed in longing, she wished they could stay like that forever... But as her fingers slowly let go of the heap of twisted metal between them, they instead traced along Cinder's scar, following the contours she had come to know so well.

Cinder was the one to break the kiss, always so practical... Ruby's fleeting feeling faded, and for a moment, they sat silent in the living room, together.

"Let's go help Yang," Cinder stated in her hoarse tone, made worse by her use of words today... But Ruby nodded, and Cinder took a step back, and dropped the framed painting straight to the ground. The glass shattered, which made her smile for a fourth time because of the sound, and she reached down to pluck the painting from the broken remains, folding it and stuffing it into her shitty denim jacket for later.

A second ring of a shell impacting something, a double explosion, saw her smile vanish once more. They left swiftly toward the docks.

But down below them, in lower Vale, all the action was coming to a head.

Blake had jumped off the boat and onto a dock, Yang felt so strange as she kept on her assault... Finally she emptied the clip in her right gauntlet, and she yelped in protest as a bullet bounced off the flat top of the railing in front of her and shot sparks at her, one of them landed on her cheek, burning... She fell below the steel bulkhead of the top deck as she brushed it off and tried to reload as quickly as possible. The faunas was focused as she kept pace with the boat. She only had so much time... And as the thump of return fire alerted her, she could hear the whizz as the shell flew overhead and plopped itself down right next to the boat. The splash was large enough that it shook both the boat and the floating marina, the dock she ran along shuddered and she stumbled. But, with her catlike reflexes, and the determination to help her friends, she righted herself and continued along in the direction that shot had come from.

"Blake!" Yang shouted again from somewhere behind her, her sensitive ears picking it out, that sharp, shrill tone of desperation over the cracks of gunfire, the impacts... It only drew her intensity to a head, when she finally reached the enemy before her...

The guards had begun to flood across the docks, of course, and Blake hadn't even had the time to register whom she was shooting as she watched the book store clerk she used to see smiling fall dead in front of her. He wore the uniform of the enemy, as cute as she'd thought he was, and while it nipped at her to slay him in such cold blood, the rest of her troops depended on it. The cannon they'd fired was being loaded, she could see it, on the shore, next to the warehouses... Her pistol flashed as she squeezed the trigger to fell the other two men in front of her. They hadn't seen her coming at all, because she wasn't on the boat anymore, their rifles were trained on the boat that sped as fast as she did through the marina. It was loaded with absolute tons of explosives, and that payload was meant to ram right into those warehouses, ruin whatever military stock Atlas might have built up with the shipping they'd been doing so prevalently this week.

Over the corpses she went, and blindsided the crew of the gun just as it fired its second shell. Yang watched from the boat now, trying to continue her fire, she watched that heroic faunas as the red of blood showered onto her face with the steel of her blade meeting the flesh of the neck of the man who had just pulled the firing lever for the artillery his buddies had loaded. Her pointed teeth were bared, Yang could see, and as her swift retribution halted the gun, Yang braced for the second impact. The cannon shell landed, it hit the rear of the ship...

It was impossible for Yang to comprehend how loud the impact that blew apart their container filled with their ammo stores was, for her eyes were locked on the sight before her. Behind her, ammunition sparked and flew out and about her, even hitting a few of their men...

"BLAKE!" she shouted a third time, clutching so hard at the railing of the bulkhead that one of the joints in her fingers popped, shooting pain through her hand. But none of that could compare to the pain that shot through her heart seeing Blake like that, surrounded by soldiers, thrashing so violently as one of them ran her straight through the chest with his bayonet; there, surrounded by the bodies of five or six men, Blake fell to her knees as the soldier twisted his shotgun. The weapon was practically a spear, and Blake, as she watched, her eyes widening, thought that maybe it was, until she saw the barrel.

"Fucking faunas slut!" the soldier shouted at her, and then pulled the trigger on both his weapon and the tears that sprang from Yang's eyes.

The disgusting twitch of Blake's ear as she slumped to the dock, blood pooling about her became indescribable as the death of her best friend registered so resolutely through the rage of her heart... And Yang, as angry as could possibly be, leapt from the boat herself in a roar of rage. Without hesitation, with only a single jump, and one pulsating, injured fist, she slammed it right against the shoddy and light, aerated concrete of the dock, shattering it immediately. The shockwave as she discharged her weapon caused the whole of the marina to shudder on the water like a wave had rolled under it, and the Atlas soldiers that fell into the water blubbered below her as they were shot like the White Fang were simply bobbing for apples. The single punch she'd delivered was all the boat needed to get where it was heading, the single cannon shell that had hit them, Yang could see, had easily torn off a massive chunk of the back-right side of the tanker, and while it was taking on water, it at least had the speed built up to make it.

Blake had done it. There, in the time it took for the boat to reach the warehouses, there could've been maybe... Two, three more cannon shots... It could've killed them all if it hit their payload...

She'd sacrificed her stupid, beautiful, rambunctious self just for them. And there, in the night, Yang cried, watched as that tanker ran aground, sliding up the asphalt on the shore and right into that warehouse, with all the cannons...

The fireball that the explosion created, the puff of air that came from it... nobody in Vale was asleep anymore.

Nobody except for Blake, who's body was incinerated with all of the shit that she'd been trying to end. The rebellious faunas was no more, and Yang's heart, heavy as it was, could only be expressed with another shout, one she couldn't even hear because her ears were ringing so much... But screamed she did anyway, and cried, hands pounding at the concrete until her knuckles bloodied and her stupid Atlas hand broke in a couple places.

But as the flames died down, and the black smoke billowed, and she sat, legs at her sides, her hair now shortened like her will to live, she caught a glimpse through her tears that made her eyes open wide just like the gaze she met.

Ruby had just arrived, Cinder in tow, to witness what had happened to everyone... Everyone except Blake. Her fingers had fluttered to those rosy lips, the look of concern she wore no match at all for the despair written all over Yang's very being.

Mission... Accomplished.

 **[Author's Note: FINALLY got this chapter done! I didn't think I'd be able to this morning, but I did!**

 **And please don't hate me. Also, that soldier is just an asshole, it's not how I feel about Blake. She's totally awesome. But dead now.]**


	19. Chapter 19: Attestation

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 19: Attestation**

Fingers gingerly gliding, touching the keys as the piano rang with each push... Gliding like the melody itself, as the woman in her fancy dress approached the microphone. The piano flared with a purpose of scale, and she gripped the pole as her melodic voice sounded... Coco Adel was impressed by her partner's ability for song.

Velvet's lovely red dress did much to accent those beautiful, long ears... and Coco, as worried as she might be, was enjoying the gin and tonic that had been delivered before her.

"Leave me dreaming on the bed...  
I'll see you right back here tomorrow  
For the next round..."

The fashionista tipped back her drink, watching her little bunny rabbit perform for their guests... More collaborators, soldiers, it had been a chore to change their style enough that they weren't questioned by authorities... Blending in, as it were, it seemed as simple as leaving no witnesses to corroborate stories. Velvet, as lovely as her little ears were, wasn't so much as mentioned in any of the reports of the slayings she had taken part of; for Coco, it was as simple as a makeover in order to appear as someone completely different.

The nature of her weapon, that briefcase lying up against her leg, well... It was about as concealed as a chaingun could become, wasn't it?

"Keep this scene inside your head  
As the bruises turn to yellow  
And the swelling goes down..."

Velvet's lovely voice filtered through her mind as she sipped her drink, and sang along.

"And if you're ever around..." Coco piped to herself, drink in hand as she swayed it nonchalantly through the air, swaying in her seat with the touch of the piano.

"Mmm..."

Across the bar, she could almost smell it... Big wigs, Atlas elite, and as they smacked open the door, her breath caught in her throat slightly, witnessing who was with them...

It was Jaune.

Coco pushed her sunglasses up along the bridge of her nose, luckily she wasn't wearing her beret right now, lest she be very certain she'd be recognized.

It was obvious that Jaune caught the fact that Velvet was performing, he was staring at her with... Those eyes... The ones that dreamed of hunger and lust, absent as they must've been from Pyhrra's death... Coco didn't buy for a moment that this man was the same one she'd seen grieving and so just as before. He wore the uniform of an Atlas soldier, his blonde hair hidden by the cap of an officer. He was a collaborator. He was with the enemy, now.

It would've been nice if she couldn't have believed her eyes, however, staring straight at her as his image was, his plated armor and the obvious symbol on his breastplate spoke volumes about his character.

"You motherfucker," Coco whispered to herself, her one-time friend turned enemy sat with his soldier buddies near the stage. He commented to Velvet how much better she looked in a proper dress, and the state of upset this set the faunas in was evident by the slight wavering of her voice.

Neither of them were prepared for this.

The music did nothing to drown out the noise of explosions outside, somewhere in the distance, there was a battle being waged and yet...

"And if you're ever around," Velvet continued, her song lilting and only slightly lifting Coco's mood...

"In the backstreets or the alleys of this town  
Be sure to come around...

I'll be wallowing in sorrow wearing a frown..."

How fitting, she thought to herself as she downed the last of her gin; today twice now surprised by depression... Earlier, it had been learning of the fates of her two male team members. Velvet, Coco, they had survived the initial onslaught, but there, out there in those pits full of bodies... Well, they at least had a grave, right?

Jaune D'Arc ordered himself a beer, and his buddies chimed in to up the ante to a whole pitcher. Good on them, they would want to be drunk for this.

Velvet's eyes met Coco's through her shades, the faunas was so lovely there in the limelight, with that piano ringing, but she knew... She knew that Coco wasn't going to sit well with the turn of events. Their enemy wore a face, now, and that face was Jaune's. How? How could he?

...A week ago, before the outbreak...

"Don't you see?" Yoru's voice echoed through his skull as the boot of the man looming over him met a soft stomach, and Jaune crumpled from the force.

"You're already there...! Your friends, gone, dead, or hiding..." He kicked Jaune again, tipping the male aside, flattening him onto his back as he stared up at the cloudy, grey sky.

"And you..." His former team mate turned Neopolitan groupie leaned over, his purple suede jacket glistening slightly at his angle.

"You're just here, weak, and powerless, can't even stop one little person from going kaput..." As if to emphasise himself, he lit a cigar, and puffed it heavily. His long, brown hair blew gently in the wind that carried the smoke away from them both. In the courtyard, they remained, the Atlas headquarters behind them as Jaune slowly tried to grip at the reality of his situation. The smoke smelled sweet yet disgusting; but all around the city of Vale he could hear shouting, gunfire...

"Yoru... Why are you doing this?" Jaune asked, and the man glowered down at him.

"That isn't my name," he stated simply, and smirked.

"You're going to help," the man stated, and Jaune grimaced. But he was right. Jaune had lost. He'd lost everything. His team, gone completely, Nora and Ren... Neither of them had come for him. Ruby was with that stupid Cinder bitch... That fucking worthless worm that had killed his one chance at happiness... If these people were opposing her, like they seemed to be, then it was obvious where he stood.

"You're going to be our little lap dog," Popsicle stated, his cool and callous demeanor surely earned him such a silly nickname from his surrogate mother. Neopolitan... Not such an enemy anymore, to him. She'd simply tried to do away with the biggest villain in the place.

"And this, this here? Atlas..." As he said the name, his breath faltered in disbelief that all of this reality was crowding around him...

"Atlas is your new home. Hunt, destroy Cinder Fall... And you will be rewarded with anything you could possibly imagine... Lieutenant."

When that hand came down, extended to the bruised form of Jaune D'Arc, stretching to pull him to his feet, he took it, and the fervor that filled his being grew two fold as his heart set on its desire.

Kill Cinder Fall.

The table that shattered against the wall of the dive bar paused both the piano player and Velvet in her tracks of such a lovely song, but the slightly tipsy fashionista wasn't buying a damn thing that this day gave her. That massive minigun folded outward from it's small container inside the breifcase she'd used to knock her table aside, her extraordinary strength totally unexpected from such a thin woman.

"Jaune!" Coco called, and the blonde spun with his sword and shield at the ready immediately.

"Coco?" he questioned, before the sound of gunfire drowned out any and all thought. His shield deflected the onslaught of bullets as they stripped the new Atlas paint from its surface.

"Die, traitor!" Coco shouted, snorting in laughter as one of the soldiers with Jaune was turned into a pile of hole-filled ruin... Swiss cheese was on the menu tonight!

As her gun blared, echoing bang after bang through the room, Velvet ducked for cover. Her lovely red dress was torn at the seams when her legs carried her, but that didn't matter one bit to the rampaging woman inside the bar.

Jaune overturned a table for cover and hid behind his shield.

"Coco, stop this!" he shouted as clearly as he could over the racquet noise of the pumping barrels. Bullets splintered the wood, casting doubt on his very life as they pelted his face.

"Stop!" he tried again, and as the gunfire faded, Coco panting harshly, her barrels smoking, Jaune stood up from behind his overturned cover.

"Coco, what are you doing?!" he shouted angrily, looking about at all of the holes that had been put into the wall behind him. His two comrades were dead, filled with more lead than he could even imagine. Where did she get all that ammo?

"Jaune D'Arc, you traitor!" called the tipsy girl, who staggered slightly as she tried to step forward. Her weapon, she clutched tighter, and brought to bear against the man, all six barrels pointed right at him, each one a hole, a tube he didn't wish to see filled.

"Traitor?!" Jaune called back, then looked about the room.

"You just killed two Vale residents!" he reminded her, which brought more pause to Coco, who tipped the barrels of her gun upward, disarmed as she was by the truth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he called to her, and then stalked toward her with all of the authority that both a Hunter team leader and officer of a military body could muster. She shrunk in his wake, however, she rekindled her might and pointed her weapon back at the man.

"What the fuck are you doing in that uniform?" Coco questioned, and Velvet, coming up from where she'd dove, clutched her hands together and whimpered. This wasn't good. How could she get between two of her friends, and stop violence when there was a literal takeover in the works?

"This uniform is none of your business," Jaune mentioned with his coldest voice possible. To Coco, he still sounded like a child, but Miss Adel at least understood that this was bound to happen somewhere.

There came a sound, distant at first, but as it shook the whole building, everybody paused and looked around, even the patrons who had taken cover or fled from the gunfire... The noise of that explosion was something completely unexpected, it rocked all of the bottles at the bar, sending some to shatter on the floor.

"What the hell was that?" Coco questioned, as even Jaune looked about in anguish when he realized that was likely a weapon far more powerful than what Atlas was utilizing...

"I think... It was them," Jaune said, casting doubt over all of the Vale residents in attendance.

"The Resistance," Jaune said, and with a frown, pulled out a pair of handcuffs, the metal clacking against the side plate at his hip.

"You're coming with me, Coco," he said, his brow furrowing too harshly for him to be anything but serious. Velvet was in tears already, it was too much for the squishy little faunas to handle. Two of her friends at odds... Coco's demeanor stated clearly she wasn't going without a fight. But Jaune... Oh, Jaune... Fallen so far, had he? Over what?

The faunas scrambled for her camera, sitting so gingerly by itself behind the curtains, and she snapped a shot of the two facing one another. The flash made Jaune blink, Coco's eyes hidden as they were behind shaded glass. With a deft shove, she took the moment of advantage to push Jaune over with her weapon by ramming it against his metal-clad chest, and she ran.

Velvet, at odds with herself, ran too... But not to follow Coco. While her leader dipped through the double doors, Jaune splayed against a table, glass and alcohol splattering over him, she ran backstage...

And out the back door, and toward the violence. If resistance was really happening, she'd had enough of Coco's way... It was time for Velvet to do what she could do by herself.

The heels she wore clacked against the concrete as she ran, until finally she shed them... Two glittering, red shoes painting the sidewalk with their stunning brilliance, but the faunas nowhere to be found... She slinked into an apartment building, one she had known before. Nora and Ren were inside, she knew... It was hard to mistake their voices from the window with her long, sensitive ears... They could help her, but they had to know. They had to know what had become of Jaune...

 **[Author's Note: Hallo again! Sorreh for not updating this sooner, I've been in a slump caused by moving to a city like three hours drive from where I lived... It's been hectic, I've moved 4 times in the last two months, and this unit is temporary and I'll be moving yet again at the end of THIS month too. Fuck me, man. Anyway, this chapter is more or less filler, it does however give you the idea of where the fuck Jaune is. :P More on that though, he's very much a grey area! Yay for plots.**

 **I had it (finally) pointed out that this story totally changes tone half way through; thank you for the note cuz I was dreading somebody might notice that! Yeah, it's true, my life flipped at about that time and so the story's tone shifted... completely. Totally shifted. Too much, really.**

 **Just to state it again: this whole story is just practice project for something even more difficult!**

 **In fact, to clue ya'll in, I'm working on my very own original story! It's called Arboreal, and it is about a super hero! Very 60s comics classic style super hero. He has the power of trees. Yes, trees. They do whatever he wants, and stuff. (I might make it a webcomic even!) Anyhow... This story is fleshed out to the very end so I'm hoping to reel it all the way in in about ten more chapters maybe more if I do more BS like the short chapters I've already put into this story. Oy. But yeah, what are you gunna do? Life gives you lemons... So write lemons! Also I know I've promised lemons more for this story and oh boy I will do them. I can't get enough of the idea of Cinder being a sadistic burny lusty girl, yes. XD Next chapter shall go back to Blake's death! And Yang and Ruby and Cinder and shit! Woo. Stay tuned, it will be a week or so before I write more I'm betting.]**


	20. Chapter 20: Burning Fires

**[WARNING: Finally wrote another Cinder/Ruby lemon! This one was even more fun than the other one! YAY SEX.]**

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 20: Burning Fires**

So sweet, the softness... Caressing along the silky strands of black and red, Cinder's fingers gingerly felt out her happiness... Ruby's hair, so clean now, such a far cry from where it had been only yesterday... She smelled like roses once more, and as she lie watching, those big, soft, silver eyes, the gentle smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth was matched slowly by Cinder's. From outside, they could hear the laughter of children again, and for once, Cinder knew this wasn't just a silly, stupid dream...

Cinnamon skipped about, giggling with another girl whom had come with the White Fang, and as soon as the name of that terrorist group crossed her mind, the flames and fires sprang right back to her thoughts. Ruby could see it in her face, the brief flash back, and sitting up, she touched Cinder's cheek softly.

"Shh, shh, no, hey... Stay here with me," Ruby crooned, and Cinder's face wound up in the pain of her own heart. It was so hard to enjoy simple moments of bliss when her memory was so sharp...

"Yang!" Ruby called, approaching her sister on that dock, the fireball's smoke rising like a pillar of death into the air, and the firey blonde sat, eyes in tears, reflecting the blue-grey of the slowly approaching dawn's light, the orange of the pyre, her mouth agape with emotion at what she'd just witnessed.

From the water crawled the White Fang soldiers whom had abandoned ship just before the impact, the bomb's detonation couldn't harm them under the surface of the bay... But it had engulfed Yang's friend, erased her from the world in a split second instant.

"Ruby..." Yang sobbed, as the dirtied girl clutched her, and behind her, Cinder stood, that callous eye gentled at the sight of Yang's distress. She did have a heart, after all, but neither Ruby nor Cinder could fathom how Yang felt right at that moment.

"Blake's..." It was impossible for her to finish the words she was looking to impart to her sister, but Ruby, looking around hectically, realized exactly what she meant.

It almost made Cinder cry to see her lover break down. Blake Belladona, the late Blake Belladona, their trusted team mate, gone... Cinder bit her lip, the faunas wasn't her fondest friend, but the loss of somebody who did come to accept her was tragic as always. The crackling of flames, however, that was music to her ears, and, not wishing to get between the grieving sisters, Cinder stepped away and toward the towering inferno.

Absolutely impressive work... A boat raid, even Cinder hadn't thought of that. Those Atlas bastards were scrambling to fill the gap in their defenses, high above on the cliff's shelf, she could see the white of their armor glistening about as they prepared defenses... But the damage was already done, the fight was already over, there would be no second assault.

Stepping over the corpses of the fallen soldiers on the dock, she noted Belladona's handiwork on the marks in the armor, a small blade, precision... Pistol wounds, and then...

The twisted mechanics of the artillery pieces that were warped in the explosion came over her view, the charred remains of one cat-eared faunas, not much more than a mass of black now, hairless... Disgusting, warped, and enough to give her nightmares for a few more days. But it wasn't the blackness of the bodies that caught Cinder's eye, it was the blackness before her...

Inside the mangled remains of the warehouse, something was seeping, dripping... From the corner of the rubble, it oozed forth, and her face grew horrified slowly as she realized what exactly it was that she was seeing...

The Grimm liquid, the very same sludge that had possessed her body and tore her from sanity was leaking like a faucet with problems, right out of the vats that had cracked open in the blast.

The warehouse hadn't been holding weapons for Atlas...

The warehouse had been holding weapons for Neopolitan.

Leaning down, dirty denim bending with her frame, Cinder touched two fingers into the thick, black sludge, wiped it up, brought it before her face... It smelled like tar, burning... But she didn't understand.

What was this stuff? Why was it inside of the warehouse, why was Atlas shipping it here?!

Her grimace grew to a full blown image of rage by the time she stood up, and noticed the person just out of sight in the alley between the next warehouse over. Long, black hair, spiky, those luscious curves...

"Raven," she spat the name, like a bullet from the chamber of a revolver, it rang through the woman's ears, and she smirked.

"Well well well, if it isn't the one eyed wonder herself," Raven taunted, and moved, that red armor clanking against the concrete of the building as she leaned against it. Their history wasn't a very long one, Raven had... Helped Cinder, she supposed she could call it, once or twice, a mercenary. Paid to slaughter, simple debt collection, days back in Mistral, long gone now. But her presence, now that was more curiosity than Cinder could handle.

"Shouldn't you help?" Cinder croaked hoarsely, motioning with her head over to the woman's daughter, distraught as she was, gone ignored.

"Yang is a big girl, she'll be all right," Raven stated, and stalked over to Cinder, two fingers pinching the collar of her worn jacket, the blue fabric caked enough in grease and dirt that it was obvious to Cinder that such a pristine figure was insulting her subtly.

"A change of clothes would suit you," Raven stated acidically, and Cinder's eye narrowed with a heavy lack of appreciation for the statement.

"Fuck you," she replied simply, eying the woman as she stooped to the black sludge, doing the same, examining it. She smelled it on her own fingers in the same way, and seemed to reach the same exact conclusion.

"Neopolitan... Interesting," Raven whispered softly, and Cinder bit back another insult, she wanted to tell Captain Obvious over here that she was lagging behind.

"Where's your dipshit brother?" Cinder questioned of Qrow, and Raven, standing straight again, removed the mask she wore over her face. This one was allowed to see her, after all, she already had before.

"Qrow's not here," she stated, and again Cinder held her tongue to keep from her own sarcasm. Of course he wasn't, else he would be standing right beside her! Her frustration at the situation was making her tense, and as she unclenched her fist, Raven took note, glancing casually downward, then back up to her face.

"Still having anger management issues, I see," she quipped stoically, which finally prompted Cinder to grit her teeth. She hated Raven.

"Still a huge bitch, I see," Cinder responded, which actually made both of them smile, before Raven chuckled softly.

"You know you're glad I'm here," she said, and, reaching under her armor and into a hidden pocket, she produced the one thing that could truly make Cinder calm; handing Cinder one of her cigarettes, she lit up her own, and together they stood, smoking, watching that oozing black liquid as it seeped further about their feet.

"What do you suppose this shit is?" Raven asked, ever lacking in bluntness, and Cinder's face brought pause to her as it twisted in disgust.

"The Grimm," she stated simply, and Raven's eyes widened.

"Oh damn... You're serious?" she asked, picking up one sludge-coated foot and looking at the bottom of her sole. Cinder was dead serious, and the lack of a response, her demeanor as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, placing a hand on her hip as she let her cigarette burn in her lips...

"Liquid Grimm?" Raven questioned, and, receiving a nod, she furrowed her brow in worry.

"Yang's a big girl though," Cinder taunted, she could sense that unease from a mile away... Raven was worried for her daughter, now, completely mixed up in this bullshit as she was.

"Fuck you," Raven shot, echoing Cinder's earlier sentiments, and the Maiden smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to?" The joke wasn't appreciated by Raven... There was a time, once, where that exact scenario had almost happened. Cinder, in her height of power, was incredibly arousing... But no, unless they had killed a whole batch of enemies together, soaked in blood, well... that sort of a passionate uprising was limited to imagination. As much as slaughter turned them both on... Raven growled under her breath at the sentiment. In one quick movement, she had stepped forward, grasped Cinder by the throat, and put her up against the wall. Hard.

The impact made the cigarette fall from her lips, and Raven's face neared her own, choking as she was with a lack of oxygen from that strength.

"Listen here, you dumb bitch," Raven began, her eyes narrowing as Cinder struggled for air.

"You don't lay a finger on my family, and you don't. Fucking. Joke with me!" Her fingers tightened with each word, and Cinder, clutching at that hand for her own life, gasped harshly the moment those fingers released her and she could breathe once more.

"Yang is none of your god damned business, so quit acting like just because you're fucking her sister you have a say in anything at all." Cinder, having collapsed onto one knee, looked up at the woman as she crossed her arms and watched, unamused.

"Pathetic. At least my daughter cries when she loses her loved ones," she shot, and the insult stung more than Cinder had imagined.

Raven was right... Cinder was a cold cup of coffee, it was hard to enjoy her in the slightest... But Raven, watching with those cold eyes, suddenly let them grow soft, and pinched the ridge of her nose.

"Fuck, I'm sorry... I just..." Cinder stood, slowly, rubbing at her neck. If anybody was going to understand such an outburst, it had to be her... Rather than hold it as a grudge, she coughed gently, and Raven looked back up.

"At least you're here," Cinder said, quiet as she was, the sentiment actually made Raven feel quite a bit better.

"Yeah, unlike that deadbeat baby daddy of mine."

At the mention of Ruby's father, Cinder had to chuckle, and Raven joined her, adding a light moment to such a dark situation.

"Do you really think they'll do this?" Raven suddenly asked her, looking back to where Ruby was clutching her sister to her chest, letting the girl sob it all out.

"Hell no," Cinder stated seriously, and as they both stood, Raven looked over her shoulder, back to the mass of black sludge pooling about the corner of the destroyed warehouse.

"Vale's pretty fucked, but at least I'm not as pessimistic as that," Raven mentioned, smirking to Cinder, and lightly punching her arm.

"You've changed, Fall. Let's just hope it's a good change. If you see my "dipshit" brother, as you put it, tell him to stop hammering whiskey and do his job for a change... He told me about all this all ready, I came to see if he was right.

Said Neopolitan's working on an even bigger plot. Said she could take over all of Vale..." Raven sighed heavily, then nodded slowly to nobody in particular.

"I hate it when Qrow's right."

Thoughts of Atlas crossed both of their minds, and Raven frowned, turned so she was fully facing Cinder again.

"Schnee Dust Company," she stated simply, and Cinder blinked. What about them?

"They're the ones responsible for shipping this shit here. This... Liquid Grimm stuff. Your best lead is Weiss, then, isn't it?" A helpful hint for Cinder, she had to wonder what Raven was staking to get out of all of this.

"Good luck finding that one, though, last I saw she was wanted for use of Semblance within Atlas territory. Her own father didn't stop the posters going up. That family has serious issues. Did you see Winter?"

The mention of yet another old acquaintance had Cinder tensing once more, and Raven laughed, slapping her on the shoulder like they were old friends, but the touch only made Cinder even more rigid than before. She hated being touched, by anyone other than Ruby, at least...

"What about Winter?" she wondered, and Raven blinked, freezing for a moment, disarmed.

"You didn't see her, then..." Raven was the stalker in the night, she was everywhere and yet nowhere... Seeing one person was simple enough for her, but for Cinder, she hadn't seen much of society at all lately.

"She's... Like a zombie," Raven explained, faltering for words as her hands grasped at the air, wrists rolling, confused...

"Same with that Atlas dickhead, you know, that General guy?"

"James Ironwood?" Atlas dickhead extraordinaire, how could Cinder not know who he was?

"That's the guy... Used to be an asshole, now he's a mega asshole. The two of them stare off into space like troubled children. It's... Freaky."

Raven leaned over to pluck up the half of a cigarette that had fallen from Cinder's mouth earlier and lit it, finishing it off in only two long drags, and flicking the butt over her shoulder. Cinder's eye twitched. Why was Raven actually sharing information? She never... Unless...

"You think I'm the one," Cinder suddenly stated, and Raven held still, lifting her chin, peering downward at Cinder.

"You think it will be me to win this war," Cinder continued, and the light smirk that met Raven's mouth made Cinder want to slap it right off of her face.

"I don't think anything. I know. Just look," she reached over, triggering Cinder's aversion to touch again as she gripped her chin and turned her head back to Ruby and Yang.

"They're children, Cinder Fall. And us?" She let go of Cinder's face, let the thought sink in.

"Well, we haven't ever been children, have we?" The memories of that building flooded all through her veins once more... Chained, caged, a slave... Raven was there. She was there, too.

"They're all dead now," Cinder reminded Raven, and the black-haired woman gave a sad smile.

"But your memory isn't. You and I both know that you're the only one who can help these sad little children... Just. Like. You."

Cinder's agitation met her face as it twisted into anger again. But Raven, ever clever, pushed a single finger up to her lips.

"Cinder, stop. If you have any shred of yourself left in that head of yours, now... You know your penchant for violence is the right answer to the puzzle." Her eyes grew intense, her words sank in...

"Be the hero you know you are, Cinder Fall, the only one who can end these villains is a villain herself... I have more information for you. That man, the one who briefly joined Jaune's team... He's not what he seems, as you know, but his Semblance..." Cinder had heard of this person, from Ruby's descriptions of what had happened at Beacon, when that monster inside of her had come out...

"He's a manipulator. It isn't his speed, it's his space." Cinder blinked heavily, three times in a row, trying to understand what she meant.

"Space...time. Gravity, darling. He pulls. He doesn't move." With that, she pat her on the shoulder, and turned to walk away, leaving Cinder standing there among the flames, dumbfounded with her new knowledge.

Raven herself had called her a hero. What was this world coming to?

"Are you back?" Ruby's wonderful voice finally broke through, and Cinder twitched, finally focusing her eye back on reality, instead of staring off into space. The concerned Huntress in front of her made her bite her lip, but she was back... Back from her trip into her own memories. Back here, with Ruby.

They were together, lying on a couch, in some break room that the employees of the marina had once used before Atlas stepped in. An impromptu bed for them. Both of them had had a nice shower, finally, they'd brought Cinnamon out from their hole, they had a place to be again... The lower Vale docks were now under the property of the Resistance, their force bolstered by the White Fang was more than enough to make Atlas think twice about a direct confrontation... Especially since Yang was angrier than ever, and had taken the chore of standing guard almost constantly to make sure that Atlas didn't get a drop on them.

"I'm... worried," Cinder said to Ruby, who's lovely fingers worked their way into that fringe of hair she kept drooping over her missing eye. Ruby was content to simply play with her locks for a moment before she finally chimed up again.

"About what?"

Cinder didn't answer that, instead she looked out of the window, to where on the docks she could see that little girl playing.

"About Cinnamon?" Ruby asked, trying to duck her head so that she intercepted Cinder's gaze, but the Maiden closed her eye instead, lounging back on the couch, arm over the back of it... She made too tempting of a pillow, and so Ruby wrapped her arms about Cinder's waist, and rested her head on her bosom.

"Don't worry about us, love... You should be worried about yourself." Cinder looked down to her bundle of joy as Ruby smiled up at her, and her callous demeanor cracked ever so slightly at the soft-hearted pursing of lips, the gentle raising... When Ruby kissed her, it had a way of settling her mind, and Cinder's eye slowly closed, her hand coming to cup the curve of Ruby's backside, so soft under her fingers... She couldn't help but give her bottom a squeeze, and the squeak it brought from her lips had Cinder smiling too, capturing her lips once more as she'd pulled away out of surprise.

They kissed, finally alone together again, clean and happy... For now, the war they were waging seemed so distant, and the blush blossoming on Ruby's cheeks hit her heart with one solid note of love.

"You're so bad," Ruby said to her, giving her a look that could only mean one thing... She liked it.

"Not anymore," Cinder retorted, and Ruby gave her a little laugh that warmed her heart. But even more, it filled with butterflies when Ruby leaned against her, her hand slipping up her shirt, along the flesh of her stomach... As disarmed as she was, Ruby's mischievous grin was unmistakable when that breath caught in Cinder's throat, hitched there...

"We're finally alone," Ruby reminded her, wiggling closer, and Cinder, annoyance on her face, tugged the hand out from under her shirt.

"And we're in public still," she whispered in response, noting the fact they were indeed only a few feet away from others.

"Awww, you're no fun," Ruby cried, but the raising of one arched eyebrow on Cinder's face made her hold any further words.

"No fun?" she repeated back, and pushed with one hand against Ruby's shoulder... forcing her to stand from the couch, and Cinder joined her on her feet.

"No fun?" she questioned again, looming over the smaller girl with a face that caused a chill to run up Ruby's spine. Had she said something wrong? Cinder looked mad...

She took a step closer, and Ruby shrunk back, shying away from the angry woman.

"No fun?!" Cinder shouted, suddenly, and shoved her roughly, Ruby stumbled back with a noise of surprise, and Cinder, following right along with her, pushed her again until she went through the doors of the hallway on the far side of the room.

"Cinder, stop, what did I do?" Ruby questioned, worry written all over her features...

But Cinder, approaching still, grasped her by the collar and pulled her harshly around, out of the hallway and into a separate room, some office, unused...

When the audible thunk of Ruby's back colliding with the wall filled the room, Cinder kicked the door with one foot so that it slammed shut tightly, and the dim room, unlit, was all they had about themselves.

Ruby's face was still priceless, so confused as she was... It shocked her when Cinder sidled right up to her, and placed a kiss right to her neck.

This time, it was Cinder's hand that found flesh, riding all the way up that thin shirt, until she could feel the fabric of a bra barely playing at the tips of her fingers.

"C-Cinder," Ruby breathed suddenly, all at once realizing her mistake.

Cinder wasn't angry... She was incredibly horny. And now, it was rubbing off on her. It had been so long for them...

Biting her lip, Ruby was powerless to resist as she was pushed up against that wall, the teeth that found her neck scraped against her, her flesh heating, her blush spreading...

"No fun..." Cinder whispered in amusement as she pushed her larger body up against Ruby's, her leg slipping between the pair of her lover's, her one eye calculating and seductive as she looked over that wonderful reaction. If there was something she loved more than Ruby herself, it was fucking with Ruby... And perhaps fucking Ruby...

When her other hand found the Huntress's crotch, cupping deftly at her mound, under that skirt, the moan that floated from her lips had Cinder's switches flipping in all the right ways.

"Oh... Yes..." Ruby panted, and her hips wiggled in such an enticing way... But it was too much enjoyment for Cinder, she grinned wickedly as she released her lover's crotch, instead letting her hand move swiftly to one of Ruby's wrists. She jerked it, twisted her, wrenched her arm up behind her back, pushed her face against the wall... Ruby's cheek met the cold paint, and she groaned in sudden pain, the new position had her tight little bottom sticking out in such a perfect way...

Cinder wanted to paint it, such a lovely picture of sadistic desire...

"Cinder, you're hurting me," came the warning, and Cinder, having intended to do just that, leaned in to run her tongue up along the shell of Ruby's ear. The shudder of reaction she received could only make her more aroused.

"Good," Cinder purred in that seductive tone that only she seemed capable of, before she wrenched at Ruby's wrist once more, and pressed herself up against that backside, hips meeting hips.

"Nyah...! Ow!" Ruby cried, but Cinder, not satisfied, was more than ready to get any noise she wanted from her lovely little play thing.

Not releasing her arm, Cinder pressed Ruby against the wall, pinning her there as her other hand roamed wherever it wanted... Down her back, over her ass, up her skirt as she pulled at Ruby's stockings. She slid them down to her ankles, the blushing mess of a girl hardly protesting now, as Cinder, moving onto her knees to get low enough, pressed her cheek up against the milky white of her bare thigh. Reaching away, releasing her arm, Cinder's hands slid lower along her hips, and she grinned to herself, licking her lips in anticipation... Ruby, not knowing where Cinder was going with this, got a big surprise when she felt something invading under her skirt once more.

Her panties slid down, and a sudden heat pressed square up against her core, as Cinder's mouth found her now dripping lips.

"O-Oh," Ruby stammered as that tongue suddenly found her womanhood, and Cinder lapped gently at her lips, burying her face against her lover's bottom, leaving Ruby to clench her fists against the wall.

"Cinder... you're so amazing," she purred, stretching onto her toes as Cinder's tongue dipped inside of her body. Her hands were warm with her Semblance, gripping both of her cheeks, and she moaned softly for the touch of her lover's mouth.

Cinder enjoyed herself here, slowly tasting her lover, dipping her tongue inside that wetness, rolling it about her smooth little pleasure-button... Ruby's tight body, it was like a wonderland of magical forests, just waiting to be burned to the ground...

Overcome by her sadistic urges, she suddenly bit at the flesh of her thigh, making Ruby cry out in pain, leaving a nice set of teeth-marks, a tiny bit of blood touching her tongue...

The metallic taste only furthered her lust.

Two fingers were pressed up against Ruby's entrance, and as she penetrated her lover, she growled out her own need, even as Ruby echoed her earlier noises of pain and pleasure.

"Cinder, what's gotten into you?" she questioned rhetorically, her silver eyes closed, lashes brushing her lovely cheeks as she stood, body cocked, butt out for her mate's desires. Both palms had pressed flat to the wall, and she let out a lovely little moan again as Cinder's fingers pumped up inside of her, pressing their tips to her inner walls.

"Oh fuuh..."

Cinder didn't spare her a moment of adjusting, instead she began to pump her fingers in and out rapidly, rubbing at her lover's pleasure centers, fingering her deftly. She watched as Ruby took her in, on her knees as she was still, a front row seat to that youthful hole swallowing all of her digits with it's slick softness...

If only she had a cock... How wonderful it would've felt to invade her insides. But, settling for her fingers instead, she stood, and began to push her hips up against that ass, timing it with a gentle bucking and her fingers to simulate like she actually was in possession of an erection. A minute or so of that, and she slipped her fingers free of Ruby's wet hole, and brought them up, sticking them into Ruby's mouth, making her taste herself.

"You like that?" Cinder asked rhetorically, and Ruby, violated as she was, didn't answer with anything more than a noise of pleasure around those fingers. She sucked at them, so very readily, and Cinder smiled with the evilness of her lust.

"You dirty little girl," she purred to Ruby, watching her as she rolled her tongue all over her digits, she was so naughty when she wanted to be...

Already the red-faced Ruby looked like she was enjoying herself, and Cinder took her by the wrist again, pulling her arm into the air to bring her body right up against her own. Their breasts, although clothed as they were, rubbed together and set Cinder's heart racing... It was her turn.

She shoved Ruby roughly to her knees, just a foot or so away from the wall, and worked a hand into her hair. Shoving Ruby's face up against her own crotch, she grinned down at the sight, those silver eyes turned up, looking at her so innocently...

"Get to work," Cinder commanded, and Ruby's fingers fumbled for the button of her denim pants, finally unlatching it and letting them drop. When her body was exposed, with nothing more than her underwear in the way, Cinder pushed Ruby's mouth up against her waiting, dripping slit once more, noting how adorable it was when that tongue poked out ever so slightly, pushing up against the fabric.

"Is this fun enough for you, yet?!" Cinder continued, in her streak of dominance, and reached down to slide her panties aside, exposing herself for her lover's waiting tongue. Shoving Ruby's face into her crotch once more, the Huntress squeezed her eyes tight and lapped hungrily at Cinder's folds...

"Hmmmn..." Cinder purred, her relief finally washing over her as her lover pleased her orally, Ruby's hands had come up to her thighs and gripped them, and she worked lovingly at her chore. She was gentle, soft, licking slowly and carefully, despite the demeanor of Cinder's lust, and the Maiden began to run her fingers through Ruby's hair, over and over, petting her slowly as she worked.

Pressing her tongue inside of Cinder's slit, she rolled it around lazily, enjoying the taste, the feeling of being overtaken by such a dominant woman... She felt almost helpless to resist it, and her own, nude lower body received the attention of her fingers as she toyed with herself carefully.

Cinder, seeing Ruby's hand now playing along her own crotch, smiled that wicked smile.

"Such a dirty girl," she chided, and then suddenly pulled Ruby's hair, tipping her head back, the lewd look written on her face letting Cinder know she definitely enjoyed having her hair pulled.

"Hmmmn... What to do with you?" she questioned as Ruby panted at her, and she leaned down, kissing her, tasting herself on Ruby's lips. Their tongues intertwined, dancing together with the luscious passion of their mutual affection...

Ruby would never admit that she loved being treated like this. When Cinder was finished with their kiss, she pulled Ruby to her feet, and thrust her over the desk next to them, bending her over like the willing woman she was.

"Fuck, Cinder... More!" Ruby cried softly, she'd missed having their time together... She missed being demeaned, she missed feeling like a toy all for Cinder's pleasure... She needed it. When that hand slapped her ass so harshly that it echoed in the small room, she groaned loudly, and when it happened a second time, she shuddered, her womanhood suddenly gushing a mess of fluids onto her thighs.

"Did I say you could enjoy yourself?" Cinder questioned, pulling Ruby's hair again so her back arched upward, and she panted, her neck stretching, her tongue lolling gently out.

"N-n-no, ma'am," Ruby stammered, surprising Cinder with the sudden show of obedience... It was so very fucking sexy... As a reward, she slapped her ass again, letting her shudder out the pain and pleasure as it vibrated through her lovely little form.

As if by some divine intervention, however, the tone of their whole encounter shifted, as Cinder leaned over her, and pressed her lips so very gently to the back of Ruby's neck. Her hands roamed over her body, slowly, sensually, caressing her and making her gasp softly... Cinder was being affectionate, randomly, and it was driving Ruby insane...

When her hands slid under her shirt again, found her breasts... They were so gentle, squeezing softly, it made her want to scream, to tell Cinder to fuck her like she deserved, but instead... She was tingling, and Cinder, her eye closed, continued to place butterfly kisses all down her neck, biting softly at her shoulder.

"I love you," Cinder breathed, and the shudder that Ruby gave in response to her lilting words was definitely not one caused by her hands... Her words alone were enough to touch Ruby's heart, and she bit her lip in her need.

"I need you," Ruby stated in response, the words dripping with such a heavy meaning and tone that it brought pause to Cinder's thoughts.

"I can't live without you," she finished, looking over her shoulder to the amber eye of her love. In more ways than one, she was absolutely correct. The two of them shared a moment, right then, staring at one another, Ruby bent over that desk, and Cinder behind her... Their lust postponed, until Ruby's small chuckle ruined every part of that lovely little moment.

"You're such a slut," Ruby teased, and Cinder growled at her, but pulled her up.

She just wanted a moment more of that deep intimacy, that was all... And Ruby, sensing it as they came close, melted against her and nuzzled up under her chin.

"I love you too."

They embraced there, alone, half-nude in that office, the dimness surrounding them with a musty air of old paperwork and filing cabinets... But once the moment had sunk in, and Cinder's hand wandered once more, she let her fingers find Ruby's crotch again, and rolled her fingertips up against her entrance... Sneaky, almost, as they hugged one another, Ruby wasn't about to escape. Instead, she curled up against Cinder's chest, her face twisting in her pleasure, her eyes shut tight... And Cinder attacked her body with deft hand, finding the most sensitive part of her womanhood and rubbing up against it slowly.

"Mm... Mmmm!" Ruby purred, panting slowly, enjoying the feelings her Maiden could give her. Always a roller-coaster, up and down... Pain, pleasure... What was the meaning of it all if not simply for the experience?

Her cute whimpers had Cinder smiling lovingly down at her blushing face, and as her fingers rolled in a circle, quicker now, a light, wet noise began to fill the room in wake of their silence.

"You're absolutely gushing," Cinder whispered to her lover, who's thighs were already soaked with her juices from one orgasm that had come simply from a nice spanking... Was Ruby really so pent up?

"I can't help it," she moaned softly, clutching tightly at Cinder's jacket...

"I want you..." Her breath rolled against Cinder's lips as she whispered that phrase, so close she could feel her own lips tingling... Ruby's hands did not stay idle, with that admission, she pushed Cinder's jacket from her shoulders, to the floor... and lifted up at her shirt, until Cinder lifted her arms, and ended up in only her underwear. Ruby made a face of amazement when she could finally squeeze at Cinder's breasts, and like a kid in a candy store, she did just that... Pushing them together, honking them like a clown's nose...

"Those aren't toys," an annoyed Cinder mentioned when she'd had enough of Ruby's childish wonderment at her ample boobs.

"They're even better," Ruby responded, and squished them together twice more, before Cinder's hands came out to bat hers away.

"Your turn to get naked," she growled, and to say she tackled her lover would potentially be an understatement. Flinging herself on top of Ruby, they collapsed to the floor, and she pulled hungrily at all of the clothes remaining on her Huntress' body until she lacked all garments, there on the carpet completely nude...

She took the moment to remove the rest of her own clothes, but sat, just staring at the prone form of Ruby's lovely body as she stretched her arms out, seeking a hug.

"Come on down, the water's fine," she said, but Cinder, with that one, calculating eye, wasn't done drinking in the sight. However, once she was, and she'd become satisfied, she moved to lay beside her lover and pull her body against her own.

Their skin, as it met, heated both even more until the mood was easily rekindled, the softness of their touch mutually stimulating both of their arousal. Cinder's favorite part, of course, was when she got the chance to pull Ruby's chest against her own; as their breasts rubbed together, pushed into each other's, she moaned herself for once, and Ruby milked it. She wiggled herself from side to side, her smaller cleavage rubbing up against her lover's bigger chest.

"Does Cinder like her boobs getting rubbed?" she questioned in a condescending tone, and Cinder's annoyed face only made Ruby laugh. Her hand moved down to find Cinder's core, and she ran her fingers between her lover's lips, enjoying the silky feel of her skin and the dripping wetness there in.

"Nn..." Cinder always did this, Ruby thought at the little noise she made... It was like she was resisting her own reactions. Ruby was only here to please her lover, so why was Cinder always holding back whenever Ruby got to be a little dominant?

She attacked Cinder's clit with two fingers, rubbing it swiftly and carefully as Cinder's legs slowly parted to allow her more access.

"Yeahhh... There you go, just let it all out for me... You're so stressed, Cinder, just cum for me..."

It wouldn't have worked so well if Ruby had kept talking, but when she shut up and instead occupied her mouth with a nipple, Cinder's lips parted and her face wound up in her own pleasure.

"Ruby," she moaned, and the devious little miscreant doubled down on her efforts, pushing two of her own fingers up inside of Cinder's hot, waiting body. The warmth was incredible.

To be even more of a jerk, Ruby decided to crank up the game, and her thumb pushed up against Cinder's other hole, teasing her butt as she worked, sucking hard on one of her breasts.

It was all too easy.

With a literal shout of pleasure, Cinder broke for her, and her fingers grew soaked with the juices of their love. It pooled slightly in her palm, the orgasm much stronger than she'd expected, but Ruby didn't stop, instead purred softly against that soft mound of flesh occupying her mouth as her fingers still pumped.

"Fuck...!" Cinder writhed slowly underneath Ruby as she brought her to a second orgasm, purring happily, finally unlatching herself as the panting Cinder rested against the carpet.

"That's what we were looking for," Ruby said lovingly, her soft tone almost motherly with her willingness to please Cinder's body. Cinder, taken aback by her romantic feelings, forced out of her sadistic nature, didn't stop Ruby at all when the girl shifted so both of their bodies were closer...

Ruby worked herself between Cinder's legs, and as both of their crotches met, she ground it steadily up against her partner, letting their mutual wetness lubricate the slow, methodical motion.

Cinder caught on easily enough, and together they rolled their hips against one another until both of them were overcome with the noises of their copulation. Ruby moaned, Cinder moaned, and the latter of the two leaned up to pull Ruby's head close enough that they could kiss. But, even while they did so, they still pushed up against one another, stimulating each other's bodies until Ruby, as cute as could be, shuddered and moaned against her lips as she came again... The wetness poured against her own body and Cinder could only enjoy the absolutely wonderful feeling of her rose breaking against her.

When they finally stopped thrusting hips against each other, they were both reduced to a puddle of affection cuddling close on the floor.

Ruby's hair was a mess, and Cinder had never blushed harder.

"I needed that," Cinder stated as she pulled her lover to her body, and gave a happy sigh.

"We both did," Ruby chimed, and kissing her softly, she then moved her head to rest on the soft pillows of Cinder's chest. She could hear her heart beat, and hoped that she might never have to hear it stop.

"Yang's mom is a bitch," Cinder stated randomly, breaking the silence, and Ruby laughed heavily, and for a good while.

"Yeah..."

 **[Author's Note: HUZZAH! Finally, a chapter I can be totally fucking proud about! This is probably my favorite recent chapter, and it was super fun to write. Also, finally squeezed out that lemon I wanted! Yay! They're so cute, together, really... And naughty.**

 **Next lemon I'm going to feature more sadism, because it's just really fun to write lol. Like, I legit am a squeemish person and I hate pain and stuff and I'm totally the opposite of sadistic whatever that is and yet... Idk it's just fun! I'm dark like that I guess.**

 **So now Raven has given us a little bit of clues to what the fuck is really going on... And Popsicle! Gasp! He manipulates spacetime! So cool, I really like him. He gets the OC cuddles award. Rainbow Sorbet is pretty cool too even if we haven't seen much of him yet. I gotta nail down his Semblance to the letter, he's still kind of unfinished. Also, just so you guys know, the reason for Popsicle's strange name is because he's based on me - his appearance is that of when I was like 22 or so and his name is one of my many nicknames. T'was my rave name, actually. My BFF still calls me Popsi XD**

 **Anyhow, I seriously considered making Raven/Cinder ex-lovers that used to make out while covered in the blood of their enemies BUT I realized this was just me having too much guilty pleasure with the idea after Ctenophorae's incestuous catgirl sisters basically did just that... HA! I fucking love Blackriver though... She's so fucking hot.]**


	21. Chapter 21: A Fly in the Sky

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 21: A Fly in the Sky**

The night before, the small apartment had heard a slamming fist on the door. Nora, asleep as she was, was woken by the sound, and sat up in their bed, rubbing her eye. She could see the shadow of her lover standing before her, as Ren stalked over from the window he'd been watching through... Unexpected. His guard was immediately raised, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly standing on end, that tingling anticipation of fear brushing along his spine.

"Mm... Ren? What is it?" Nora asked, and as he glanced at her in the darkness, the slanted light spilling through the blinds catching his eyes, glinting off of their surface as they softened upon looking back at the red-headed girl on his bed, so lovely as she was in her night gown, those gentle curves...

"Stay here," he said simply, always a man of little words, and he left the room. Drawing the bladed pistol at his hip, he stepped to the doorway, listening. The heavy knock sounded again, and a small noise of frustration, from... A female. Strange, he hadn't seen a single female Atlas soldier throughout his entire time of observation. He had been standing guard tonight, he always went to bed slightly later than Nora, determined as he had been from childhood to keep her safe. He waited only for a moment longer, catching another feminine noise of desperate thinking, before he suddenly ripped the door open, startling the rabbit-eared faunas on the other side as he put the pistol right to her head.

But, as quick with his reaction time as he was on his feet, or with his mind, he pulled it back, and pointed it toward the roof. It was Velvet. She looked terrified, no thanks to him he was sure. He inclined his head and she wasted no time, rushing in as he closed the door and locked it, first by the knob, then the slider, then the deadbolt... If she was here, this was not a good thing, and extra caution in case she was followed was highly required. He holstered his weapon again, as she jogged barefoot over to his couch, flopping on it in exhaustion. What exactly was she doing here...? How had she found them? Ren and Nora were rather private people away from work and they hadn't exactly been hanging out with friends, all things considered. Velvet, though, he knew, had quite a lot of skill. Her red dress suited her, she'd probably been singing again to entertain the damned Atlas soldiers, in order to keep herself alive. Ren, as cultured as he was, knew for a fact that she had a wonderful singing voice. He looked to his bedroom, and then back to Velvet.

"Nora...?" she questioned softly, and he tilted his head in the direction of the sleeping Huntress. He didn't want to wake her unless he had to... Sleep, to him, was completely sacred, a thing to never be interrupted save for the most dire circumstances... And Nora's sleep was absolutely priceless to him, especially since she was terrible at everything when tired, and he'd ate more than one sucker punch in her cranky attitudes. Velvet, however, seemed to accept his little gesture as fact, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked about the place, never having been in here before. Nora and Ren viewed this as their sanctuary, nobody had ever been invited inside before, and few people even knew it was here, many assumed they lived in the outskirts of the city, not the deep center in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, considering Lie Ren was rather well-off after his parent's death. But the Lie family, ever clever, knew how to conserve their resources... That was, at least, until they all perished, except for him.

She caught sight of the stack of canned food on the corner of the kitchen counter.

"Oh, Ren..." she said softly, lamenting for them. She knew they must've been confined here for quite some time, centered as they were in the middle of the entire operation. The man shuffled over to the door of the bedroom, and slowly closed it, quietly turning the knob before he did so, to avoid the click of the latch, though he spared one last glance inside at his sleeping beauty before he shut it and turned away. Flicking on a light, he moved over and sat down next to his friend, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. He looked absolutely exhausted.

"Ren..." Velvet extended a hand and rested it on his shoulder. He'd sleep soon enough, her concern was unneeded, and as he looked toward her, she gasped. The bags under his eyes... She'd never quite seen him like this before. But Velvet's Semblance was strong, and with it's nature, she could tell...

"Ren, no... You've been using your Semblance this entire time, haven't you?" she questioned, and he grunted, rolling his shoulder to dislodge her hand. His well being was nothing when compared to Nora's. She shook her head. His eyes dropped, noticing her lack of shoes, and he immediately tensed.

"Velvet?" came the quiet man's questioning tone, and she tilted her head, her bunny ears moving with it, drooping slightly to the side.

"Where are your shoes?" he asked, his tone suddenly sullen, dark, and serious. She blinked.

"I can't run in heels," she stated, and looked back toward the door, "I left them outside on the sidewalk, I suppose..."

His eyes suddenly deepened, she could see the muscles in the back of them straining to keep him from letting them fly wide open in a bad temper.

"FUCK," he said heavily, the word resounded so much through her that she inhaled loudly. She'd never once heard Ren swear in their entire time together, and she touched her lips, while the man reached over to grip the arm of the couch so hard his fingers created dents deep enough to remain when he let go and stood. He began pacing back and forth, wringing one hand into his own hair, practically pulling at it.

"...What? What did I do?" she questioned, surprised, and he turned, angrier than he'd ever before seen her, as he placed a heavy hand on the couch and leaned over her, glaring daggers straight into her face. She shied away, suddenly more afraid of him than Atlas.

"You led them to us," he said slowly, clearly, and much in the tone she was used from Ren, save it was dripping with acid and really worrying her.

"I-I didn't mean, I mean, it was a block back..."

"You don't think they won't realize that? These... animals... They aren't a joke, Velvet," he said, and returned to pacing, starting to cool off again back to his collected nature. He rubbed a hand over his face as he stalked back and forth, his head running through the scenario. He had to keep Nora safe. Nothing could touch his precious gem... Now he had to think of a solution to this problem, however he supposed it was in his nature to be happier that Velvet was safe, and that they had time, than to get angry at the situation once more.

"Okay... We'll be fine... We'll leave soon, yes. We'll have to leave." While it was entirely possible that Atlas could miss them after the search, he was absolutely sure she wouldn't have come here unless she was in danger... What had she done? He stopped, crossing his arms, lifting one hand to his chin.

"What did you do?" he asked, as serious as possible, and she blinked.

"N-Not me, Ren... I would never..." she breathed, and frowned, "It was Coco... She..." Her eyes began to water. She had to tell Ren the truth, which had suddenly flooded back to her mind now that her fearful state had faded.

"She saw Jaune," Velvet stated as bluntly as she could, and Ren's eyes actually did fly wide open at the admission. Jaune? Now that was interesting news, indeed. But as he watched the faunas suddenly begin to struggle with emotion, her face slowly wound up, forming what could only be the precursor to a very, very heavy flow of tears. Indeed, she scrunched up more than he thought could possibly be comfortable until a heavy sob came, and the ones that followed it peppered out of her like the steady beat of a drum. It wasn't long before she was a mucus-covered mess on his couch, nose leaking, impossible to stop, sobs causing spit to fly out of her mouth. Whatever the news was... It was bad.

"Is he... Velvet, is he dead?" she questioned, and when she slowly shook his head, his heart dropped into his stomach. No...

"He-he's he's..." she tried, unable to control herself as she vigorously wiped at her face.

"HE'S ATLAS!" she cried, and broke down once more, flinging herself to bury her face in their soft couch, the only thing that could give her comfort.

Ren was beside himself. He didn't know what to feel. Slowly, he started grinding his teeth, and then began to pace once more, clenching and unclenching his fist. He growled to himself once, and then turned toward Velvet, raising his finger, opening his mouth...

"Nn... Ren... What's going on?" came the soft voice, and he looked over, his face contorted with his ire, as his head practically creaked to the side. There in the doorway was a sleepy Nora, leaning with hip cocked against the door frame, hand raised along its rail, rubbing the tired from her eyes. She saw him, and her face grew concerned, as she moved over.

It was just like Nora to completely ignore the fact that a faunas was sobbing on their couch. She moved right up to him, and slid her hand along his arm, lowering it for him, as her other fingers touched his cheek softly. He had been holding his breath, and he let it out, panting with his seething rage. But her touch was calming, and as she stepped onto her toes to place a gentle kiss to his lips, he closed his eyes shut tight, and reminded himself that she was all that truly mattered. When she pulled away, her hands found his, and held them.

"Now, Ren, you'll tell me... Slowly, go."

He breathed in and out, slowly, twice, in order to control himself. Nora was not going to like this. Not at all.

"Jaune joined Atlas," he stated in his usual blunt manner, and now it was her turn. Her eyes slammed open so fast he was sure her skull would crack, and she leaned up against him with her forearms, gripping the collar of his shirt as she shook him.

"WHAT?!" she screamed, and his hand sped quickly to cover her mouth as the string of shouting curses poured from her. It was a good thing he knew her, because any more loud noises and they were sure to compromise their location to the troops that were likely outside. She stomped her foot, and as the thump echoed through the room, he was quick to trip her with his own foot, and startled as she was as she fell, he caught her, holding her up in his arms. The surprise eased her out of her own anger, and he turned, holding her like a bride as she clung around his neck, so they could both look to Velvet, who was finally collecting herself, sitting back up on the couch. She was breathing irregularly still, but she managed.

"I-It's true... I was... I was singing for Coco, at the lounge bar... Three soldiers came in. One of them was Jaune... Velvet tried to kill him on the spot, she was kind of drunk, but she only managed to kill his two guards, because of that shield..."

That shield, Ren knew the one. It was forged from Phyrra's armor, there was no way a simple bullet was getting through that, even many bullets, as much as Coco liked to put holes in things, she lacked accuracy and hitting the same mark that many times was impossible for her.

"You have got to be kidding me," Nora spat, her face still contorted in her anger. She was always so adorable when she was angry, Ren thought, even if he did hate letting her feel that way. Nora didn't seem to want down, or anything, because she usually wiggled like a cat when she did, so he clutched her close to himself, his face leaning near her own as she looked back up to him with those beautiful, glittering eyes. She looked worried, and he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Jaune, Ren..." she whispered, and he sighed.

"I know, Nora." She was touching his face again, her other hand on his shoulder, and for a moment Velvet took some small comfort in witnessing their obvious love. She had been happy when they'd finally closed the gap to each other's hearts, really, it had been way too long coming. But as that moment faded, and she became just as worried as they obviously were, she put herself in their shoes, as she was so good at doing, knowing they must truly be devestated. They had each other, however, and they seemed to draw their comfort there in.

"We'll leave later tomorrow. We have to find the others. What happened to Coco?"

"She fled the response team, she fled from Jaune. You can't fire off a thousand rounds a minute and expect nobody to notice," she said, and touched her own lips again. This situation was impossible. She hated every moment of it... She'd already had to kill to keep herself safe... She remembered that alleyway, all those dead soldiers, as disgusted as she was and then...

"OH!" she shouted, perking up in her seat, practically bouncing up and down on the cushion for a moment. Her sudden outburst had both of them looking her way, and Ren glaring again.

"Shhh!" he warned, and yet again she covered her mouth with her fingertips.

"Sorry," she peeped, just like a tiny rabbit, and wiggled her nose. Nora always snorted when she did that, and this was no exception, even if she did earn a look from Velvet.

"My camera," she said, reaching for it, where it had been hanging about her neck, and held it up. Now her hope was growing inside of herself, and she stood, holding it up before her.

"Ren... I took pictures of everything! The whole inner Atlas compound, all of it! Did you hear those explosions before?" Ren looked at the camera, and his mind worked through the process. Yes, he'd heard them, but he'd assumed that maybe somebody was...

"Oh my," he said gently, in surprise, and now it was Nora's turn to remember how much she loved when he did that, Ren was cute when he heard good news. His face looked ecstatic, even if to the untrained eye they might not notice it. Nora did, though. They held the key to this entire problem right here in Velvet's hands. Finally, Nora kicked her feet, and wiggled her bottom, letting him know to set her down. She clung to his side, but smiled up at him, one hand on his chest, the other resting gingerly on the opposite side of his bottom. He was used to it, she wasn't groping, she just liked the curve, because her palm fit perfectly to his toned body.

"Velvet's fucking awesome, isn't she?" Nora asked, and Ren started beaming right then.

"This time, I'll have to agree," he replied, and stepped forward, dislodging his girlfriend long enough to push Velvet's camera back against her chest.

"Keep that safe. Do you have a picture of Jaune?" he questioned, and the little faunas nodded slowly.

"This day just got so much better," he said.

"Not only do you have proof, not that I doubt you, that Jaune is Atlas..."

"But I can copy his weapon, yes. And Coco's." All three of them were grinning at the possibilities. Nora's excitement finally bubbled through her whole body and out the top, and she laughed, skipping about Ren with his hands in hers. His heart welled up seeing her so happy after so long, and when she was finally all bounced out, she jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck, and gave him a long, loving kiss. His arms moved about her waist, and for a moment, in their lover's embrace, the awkwardness finally got to Velvet, and she cleared her throat.

"Sorry," Ren said, pushing the still-trying Nora down by the forehead, her smacking lips seeking his. He was always more considerate than his lover, of course. Velvet removed the camera from around her neck, and set it on the end table of the couch, next to the lamp. She was absolutely exhausted now, especially as the excitement was suddenly fading. She guessed, after all, Coco's orders had been good for something. Such a passionate one, Coco was, but she was glad to be parted from her partner for awhile, her overbearing attitude sometimes got on her nerves, and this was the break she'd needed from living with that tension for so long. She lay down on the couch, stretching out her limbs, before she rested her head back, letting her ears droop over the end of the couch. Ahhh, this was a nice couch. Ren had good taste in upholstery.

"Feel free to get some sleep. We can't leave yet, not with all the noise out there. What do you suppose that was?"

Nora, ever the optimist, cocked her hip, hand on it, and raised her other finger.

"I'll tell you what that was, it was the sound of freedom, baby!" she said enthusiastically, and he rolled his eyes.

"I know those noises anywhere, you silly butt, those were twin smooth-bore Mistral Armsworks 88 millimeters!" Ren and Velvet both blinked at her, Ren was far more used to the girl's knowledge of explosives, though. After the moment fell flat with their ignorance, however, her eye twitched, and she straightened up, hands on either hip now as she closed them and tipped up her nose.

"Uh, duh? Atlas doesn't use Mistral Armsworks 88 millimeter artillery. Theeeyyy use Schnee Dust Company 420 millimeter howitzers, of course. I like to call them Big Bullshitters, on a' count of the mess they leave afterwards..." Ren chuckled at her little joke, but she smiled at him happily.

"And the big one?" Now her excitement was far too obvious, grinning ear to ear.

"That, my wonderful pair of poppy pushers, was a whole shitload of set-charge plastic explosives. Atlas, it would seem..." She let the tension mount slightly...

"Is under attack! Isn't it exciting?!" She clapped her hands together, and Ren's look reminded her to stay quiet, so she looked down sheepishly, twisting her foot into the carpet as her hands clutched behind her back.

"Wow," Ren said in response to her words, then looked back to Velvet, "This day really does just keep getting better. We're leaving tomorrow morning, then, but first... Velvet, do your thing. Copy my Semblance, and go get your shoes. Nora, get the hammer, we're doing a victory pose for the camera." Nora obliged, and fetched her weapon from their room, looking like a mixture of innocent and guilty as she dragged the giant thing across the carpet in her nightgown, shouldering it as she went to hug herself to Ren's side. He drew his weapon, while Velvet picked up her own, and together they struck as much of a pose as they could manage, a couple's shot to be sure of the dynamic duo. Velvet snapped the photo after a second of adjustment, and chuckled.

"You two are too adorable together," she said, and Nora scoffed.

"Excuse me, but I'm cute with or without this sad sack," she chimed playfully, and Ren gave her a mock glare in response, reaching over to pinch her in the bottom, causing her to yelp. Velvet laughed, and turned to go.

"I'll be back in a bit... Say, how long will your Semblance hold up, Ren?"

"For me, about an hour at most, unless I push it, which as you can tell drains me. It normally only works on Grimm, basically makes you appear nonexistent to them... But for Atlas, it will only keep off their suspicion. Don't let them see you in that red dress for too long, or they will recognize you, why? What is it are you planning on doing?"

"Not much. I thought I'd use that fire escape on the side of the building to get up and take some shots of the surrounding area for when we leave. The more information we can get, the better," she mentioned, and he nodded at her as she turned to leave. He didn't lock the door behind her, it would be easier to simply let her get back in on her own. Besides that, he was pretty sure Atlas hadn't clued in on them just yet, and if she collected her shoes, they would be fine.

But once that door was closed, he looked to Nora, who was giving him a look...

"Oh, no... No, Nora. I'm so tired," he said, and she pulled him by the hand toward the bed. His protests, he knew, wouldn't matter much. She moved out of his way once he was near the bed and as he stepped to the side of it, she pushed him gently so he sat, and climbed up atop his thighs, her knees on the bed. His hands were placed to her own thighs by deft fingers, and as she kissed him, his tension seemed to melt, and together, they fell back carefully to the sheets.

She broke the kiss, and that tiny little smile, those blushing cheeks, those happy eyes... He never wanted that moment to end, but when she spoke, he swallowed.

"She'll be gone for at least a little," Nora mentioned, and he rose an eyebrow, she could tell he was so tired, but... Her hands moved, so very careful as she unbuttoned his jacket, helped it off of those strong shoulders... She slid it away, and tossed it aside, and her hands moved to his, pulling them up over his head, those hips pushing down on him... She leaned in to kiss him again, and for once, she used her tongue, invading his mouth as she sought his own. Nora didn't really like tongue kisses, but right now was a special moment. They were on the verge of escape, and her happiness was evident by the squeezing of her legs to his sides. Fuck, she was always so romantic with this, the first night they'd been together he had felt it... And right now, he felt it too. The way she was resting against him, so tender... His heart fluttered, it crashed like a wave, it was true love, and nothing less, nothing could ever come close to that feeling.

It was as if she had set him on fire, and the only thing on his mind was her movements, her grace, as she pulled back, sliding her hands down his shirt... And then up it. He breathed heavily outward when she ran those fingers over his muscles, grinning at him like a devilish cat.

The way he looked at her was obvious, it wasn't the first time this had happened. He was far too tired to go all the way, but for now, she was content to love her man. She pushed his shirt off, and rubbed at his muscles carefully, grinding her palms along his chest, his shoulders, down that smooth set of abs... She wanted to bite them, they were so solid, test them like a gold coin to make sure they were real, even if she knew they were.

They didn't even have to say it; the look in her eyes said it for her, and the way he sighed at the relief of his tensions let her now... They were so madly in love, and nothing would ever change that. She reached to each of his hands, and removed his gloves, adding them to the growing pile of his clothes. When she kissed his stomach, he smiled, and played one hand tiredly through her hair.

"You're too good to me," he whispered to her there, in that darkness, and the smile she reserved only for him, that gentle, little one, shone past the lack of light regardless.

"I can't ever be good enough," she responded, and continued her massage, digging her thumbs into his hips, up his sides, once more to his shoulders, then rubbing along his neck, down those wonderful biceps. Just for her, he flexed under her fingers, and the obvious blush that crept up her neck, blossomed on her cheeks, made him smirk at his effect. Poor Nora, if only they could...

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and she nodded.

"I know."

It wasn't long before they'd gone to bed, after removing Ren's pants and boots, and there, in their sleeping attire, they curled against one another, Nora's head rested on the broad chest of her guardian, her one true love, of her Ren.

When Velvet returned, she could hear the soft snoring of Nora in the other room through the closed door, and she smiled to herself, kicking off the heels she'd collected, placing her camera back to rest. She flopped on the couch, so grateful that today could just simply end, and she lay with her eyes closed, rolling onto her side. It was chilly, they hadn't given her a blanket, but the pillow on the couch was at least enough to cover her arms as she put them under it and rested her head. With a sigh, she lay for a few minutes, looking at the small bars of light peeking through the window from the street lamps, the small specks of dust floating through the air.

Tomorrow was a brighter day, she thought to herself as she fell asleep.

Now, on this day, the day of their escape, when the three of them had all woken and gathered their things, gotten ready with showers and a change of clothes for Velvet from Nora's stash, they grouped in the living room as the light of day filtered through the windows like the artificial light had the night before.

"Ready?" Ren asked once it seemed like everything was in order, and when both girls had given him the thumbs up, he lead them out the door, and out of the building.

Stepping onto the street in the daylight, they looked around, and the change was immediately apparent.

"What the...?" Nora said softly, and Ren and Velvet, noticing where she was looking, both turned their eyes upward. There, above them, was a floating airship, a massive metal behemoth they'd never expected at all. It was the mother of all Atlas tech, coated in turrets, burning jet engines, and armored plating.

"Holy shit," Velvet said first, and the other two looked at one another in agreement with the statement.

"Let's move," Ren stated to get them going, and they moved down the street, in the quickest route straight away from the central Atlas compound behind them. For a moment, all three of them caught the nostalgia on the wind as the breeze blew and they glanced into it, and there in the distance loomed Beacon tower, out of reach, that dragon still frozen in place atop it.

"If only," Ren said, and shook his head in sadness, those days seemed so very far behind them now. As he took off running, the others added some speed as well, ignoring the shouts of the Atlas guard behind them as they were spotted. It was expected, after all, they didn't look like anybody else around here, neither armored nor uniformed, like the rest of the Atlas sympathizers. The mundane humans, lacking any sort of ability like the former Huntsmen, it wasn't hard for them to escape. But what bothered all of them to the bone, was the ear-splitting and sudden blaring horn, almost like a fog horn but much, much more eerie, resounded all about them, rattling their teeth as the sound caused vibrations to course through the air and their bodies.

The first explosion landed so close that Nora screamed in fear.

"Run, keep running!" Ren shouted as he looked over his shoulder, the absolutely huge ship behind them was turning... Turning right toward them!

A flash alerted him to another shot being fired, and as he heard the shell whistling toward them, his eyes widened and he jumped after the girls.

"Get down!" he shouted, and shoved them out of the way, diving behind a car as an eruption of blue, glowing material spread all over the ground and the opposite side of the vehicle, turning their surfaces into iced-over replicas. The moment the shell's effect stopped blowing the air about, he pulled them both up by their shirts, and shoved them. Velvet held her camera to keep it from knocking against her, and Nora had her hammer in its launcher configuration, using both hands to carry it. Ren couldn't activate his Semblance just yet, he had thought this escape would be easy... But that... thing, up there, they hadn't seen an airship in days, however the attack must have drawn this one back. But this one was so much bigger than any airship they'd ever seen... When the cannons were turned fully toward them, they heard a thunderous sound of so many cannons being fired that there was absolutely no way they could stay in the streets.

When the extremely terrifying rain of hell flowered over them, blooming puffs of fire, ice, and thunder all about them, Ren put his arms up to shield himself from the wind, leading the charge.

"This way!" he said, and cornered a building, just in time for the street to erupt behind them where they'd only been a minute ago, showering dust and a plume of smoke everywhere. Velvet was flung, being slight behind the others, and flew a few feet before hitting the ground hard and sliding a couple of inches, the asphalt ripping at her exposed elbows... Luckily, these pants that Nora had given her were tough, and her knees, while probably bruised, remained fine.

"Are you okay?" Nora asked, holding out her hand, and Velvet took it with a nod as she pulled her up and they kept moving. Now that they were out of sight for the moment, Ren activated his Semblance, and held out his arms to slow their walk, whispering for them to act casual, as suddenly a group of soldiers ran by, toward the explosions. When they passed, he wiped his brow, sighing heavily in relief.

"That was insane," Nora said, almost ecstatically, "Let's do it again! I never got the chance to be on the receiving end of Big Bullshitters, wow!" Ren glared at her, he was not about to go through that again. Looking back, he could see craters all along the street that led back around the corner they had come from, the black of ash, and the blue reflecting ice scattered about.

"There's only one place we'll be safe from that thing," he said, and turned their path.

"We're heading to the docks, the cliff will provide more than enough cover. Let's go." And so they ran off, his Semblance keeping them safe enough from the rest of the soldiers as they made their way through what remained of Vale. Everywhere they went, they could see the lines for the food stalls, everyone seemed hungry... Dirty, perhaps, they looked at them with sunken eyes, their pristine clothes were so out of place. But they dared not act, surely these strange people had to be Atlas, with clothes like that... Right?

But as they neared the edge of the cliff, it became immediately apparent that they weren't about to get through. All along the cliff's edge, there were fortifications, and groups of soldiers, and as they hid among the city outskirts, Ren tried to formulate a plan. Damn, so close, he thought, and frowned. Occasionally, as they stood, they could hear a small group of soldiers open fire for a few seconds, then it died down again. What were they shooting at? They were all shooting down at the docks...

"That must be where they were hit," Velvet offered, and the other two nodded in agreement.

"We need... A disguise," Ren said cleverly, rubbing his chin.

"That won't work... Won't whoever's down there just shoot us for looking like Atlas?" Velvet said in her worry, and Ren looked back to the troops at their stations, all watching the cliff, save for the occasional relocating soldier, but his Semblance was holding.

"Damnit, so close, yet so far... Okay. Where's the tallest building around here? No, that won't work either, that thing up there would spot us... Agh, and just when I thought things were going well..." Nora's hand found his to comfort him, and squeezed it briefly, but he slid it from her grasp in order to draw his weapons as well, just to make sure.

But as they watched, trying to think of something, the answer seemed to present itself, as suddenly there was a sound, and shouting, and Ren perked up to look around the corner from where they'd been hiding in their alleyway. Down a ways along the front of the cliff, he watched as a several soldiers careened through the air, falling away, off the cliff. Gunfire echoed right afterward, and Nora's excitement grew once more.

"No way... I know that sound! That's Neptune's rifle!" The other two shared her excitement as they all scrambled to get a better look, practically stumbling over one another. Sure enough, at the far edge of the cliff, three Suns and a Neptune were battling the line of soldiers from the perfect angle, hitting their flank suddenly and without warning. As the soldiers rushed to respond, Nora's devious look of pleasure arose and she lifted the muzzle of her weapon.

"I been waitin' a loooong time for this," she said, and as she corrected her angle, pausing for a moment, the audible thunk that emitted from her weapon was followed by the crack of an explosion as she fired at the troops. She hit a cluster of three of them, incinerating two and sending the third launching from the steep, screaming.

"Nice shot," Velvet said, as she fired off two more rounds, assisting their allies in bringing down as many of the men as they could. Bullets had begun to fly about the street, some even in their direction, so they ducked behind their walls, pressing their backs up against the narrow alley. When the gunfire abruptly stopped, and there was shouting, Ren motioned to them all silently to back up.

Velvet knew this tactic well... Too well...

As they took a few paces back, Nora's weapon clicked and clanked as it switched configurations, and with that sideways grin, she waited, her brow furrowing with anticipation as her menacing features came about her. Oh yeah, it was time to kick some ass!

Ren stood just behind her, weapons at the ready, they were used to this sort of thing, and they worked so very well together. But as soon as the first soldier rounded that corner and got shot in the head, she gagged as her memory flooded back to her. Placing a hand on the wall, she turned away, trying to steel herself as she listened to the sounds of cracking armor and twin pistols. She was frozen, and when it stopped, she still didn't move, until Ren pulled her off and they ran across the street. Neptune and Sun had already fled, soldiers giving chase, and they ran passed the garrison, and to the steps that led down the face of the cliff.

By the time they got to the bottom, all three of them were smiling again, running, panting and out of breath, but running none the less, because there, on the corner of the very first building stood a girl who's stance was unmistakable, her arms crossed, eyes wide as she slowly started to grin too.

"No way..."

"Yang!" Nora shouted, practically skipping by now, as the woman leapt from the building, arms wide to receive the red head in a big bear-hug, spinning her around, laughing together. She set her down after a moment, and extended one metal hand to Ren, who made a face at it, even if he did take it.

"I know, it's Atlas tech... Sucks, but it works. How are you holding up, Velvet?" She judged by their appearances that they hadn't done too badly up there, but she had to wonder. Velvet nodded to her and smiled.

"How did you guys get passed the garrison?" she asked, blinking. Ren looked back up the way they came, turning around lightly, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.

"Sun Wukong... And Neptune," he said, and Yang immediately tensed, uncrossing her arms. Nora's face twisted in concern at her expression. Why did she look so sad...?

"They must've heard about what happened and come to help us," Velvet offered in explanation, but when Yang, as frozen as she had been, suddenly spun on her heel and stalked off, they all looked at each other in confusion.

"What was that about?" Ren questioned, and Nora moved to hold his hand as they walked after her.

"Guess you haven't heard!" came a voice, and the three of them turned toward the sound, and from around a corner stepped a familiar face that none of them had expected. With hands behind the back, and a pep in the step, an Atlas android appeared before them, and Penny Polendina, her expression one they'd never seen her wear before, stared them down. She was different, though, from before... Her normally bright green parts, every single one was as red as blood, and in her right eye, they could see a target reticle, adjusting on them. She looked at them with the face of a cunning criminal con artist, waving one hand wide, legs crossing one another as she walked sidelong beside them.

"P-Penny?" Nora questioned, she'd assumed that once the outbreak had come about, she'd been pulled from here, back to... At...las...

"Oh, no..."

She raised her hand, and as three blades dropped from her back, they moved up into the air, rotating swiftly.

"Oh... Yes! I'm combat ready, and it feels SO GOOD!"

As she finished her words, a blast erupted from her weapons, headed right for Ren. But Nora, growling as he stepped back defensively, swung her hammer swiftly to intercept it, stopping it in it's tracks as the android frowned at her.

"Looks like maybe the silly one wants to play," she said cheerfully, so much so it made Velvet's skin crawl, and as Penny brought her hands together, pulling them back... She was charging for another assault, aiming it right at Nora. But the cool girl just smirked, and steeled herself.

"Bring it on, bitch," she insulted, and Penny, with a roar of anger, fired a massive red beam right for her. Ren tried to pull at Nora, get her out of the way, but she stood there, grinning stupidly, suddenly immovable as she took the hit right to the chest. Ren had never seen this from her before, but she suddenly erupted with sparks all about her, causing him to pull his hand away as she began to absorb the energy from the assault. Penny scrunched her face in disgust and doubled down with a second pulse in the beam, attempting to overcome her absorption ability.

But Nora cocked her foot, even as the force of the thing pushed her back, and she lifted it, stepping forward. By now, she was shaking, her vocal cords producing a shaky noise as she drew it all inside, until the beam stopped. The moment it did, she took two fast steps forward, and leapt into the air with her hammer, shouting in anger as she brought it down on the robotic girl. But Penny, having received apparent upgrades, suddenly turned completely red, and shot sideways, leaving a trail of several after images, all that same, glowing red, until she skid to a halt a few feet away. The impact of her charged attack shattered the concrete of the dock, cracking it outwards, causing a massive boom and a shower of water to fly all about them.

"Tch... Damn," Penny said in disdain. The one Huntress who could potentially get in her way hand to be here right now, didn't she? And she'd been so close to infiltrating those docks... They had built it up with barricades so there was only one way in, and while she could go over their walls, to do so would be far too blatantly obvious. She had planned on sneaking in along the wall and underneath Yang's gaze...

She crossed her arms, and her weapons arranged themselves accordingly, up and behind her, and with that same burst of energy, she slowly lifted from the ground. When she was a few feet off of it, she glared down at them, the unmistakable anger on her face evident as she suddenly zipped away from them, flying up the cliff, leaving a streak of light as she faded from sight toward the airship.

Yang slid around the corner a moment later, looking at the trio as they stood, dumbfounded, while she glanced from them to the huge hole that Nora had made. Nora, wet from the attack, was still sparking lightly as she panted where she stood at the edge of the hole.

"What happened?" she asked with surprise on her face, and Velvet turned, her hands just under her chin, worried.

"It was... Penny..."

Yang punched her fist into her hand.

"Shit! I knew that stupid robo-girl was bad fucking news! How can this get any worse?!" She threw up her hands, and walked into their base, and the others followed her inside.

After a brief reunion, and hugs, it was revealed to Yang, and to the White Fang and its leaders, the information pertaining to the fact they had photographic evidence, of Jaune, of Atlas, of everything. Their trial was over for now, and when they'd run across Ruby, the girl and Nora practically cried together to see each other again. Velvet couldn't have been happier, even if breaking the news about Penny to Ruby was a chore.

But when they'd mentioned Sun Wukong and Neptune being in the area, the entire room had grown quiet.

It was Yang who did it, even if Ruby had tried to go before her, but when she broke the news of Blake's death to the crew, there was no stopping the sea of tears. Even Ren was effected, even if he didn't cry.

Ruby told them about Cinder, and all she'd done for her, they introduced everyone to Cinnamon, and at the end of the day, despite sporadic gunfire from the new garrison now setting up atop the cliff from the Atlas reinforcements, everyone had been in a good enough cheer to gather around a fire, singing, laughing...

Everyone except Cinder, whom nobody had seen all day.

Cinder Fall, with so much on the Maiden's mind, could do nothing more the whole day than to sit, and watch the water, and think. The ocean of Cinder's mind was clouded, full of fear, flailing for a grasp of a course of action. Could Raven be right...? What was it she had to do?

That airship, up there...

Somewhere in there, she was sure of it, was that mysterious woman... Mistress Honeydew... She had been close enough, just out of sight, to hear all of the information being passed around. It seemed like now they might have a fair shot at this, maybe she could...

All she knew was, the moment she found Neopolitan, she was going to rip that bitch's womb out through her throat. To think she'd worked with her at one point? Just another fucking Torchwick, now. And these... Children, as Raven had put it, now even more of them, under her care. Damn it... It was all too convenient, it was almost as if...

"Mmmhmhmhm..."

"...Damnit," Cinder said in annoyance, her face callous as she turned to see it. She knew that voice. The campfire joy didn't drown out something like that.

Above her, standing on the dock's crane, on the far side and away from everyone else as they were, stood a white-clad figure, twirling a cane, the bowler atop her head bringing back some level of nostalgia.

"Neopolitan..."

Why was it she only ever appeared to Cinder? What was she plotting? What?!

"Get your ass down here so I can... Fucking... KILL YOU!" Her voice was hoarse, and hardly loud, but her point was still there. She welled up a ball of fire in her hand, and hurled it like a baseball up at the midget of a criminal, watching as she suddenly vanished in a puff of air, reappearing just out of reach of the fireball's aim a split second later. She walked along the crane, and Cinder growled.

"Where the fuck is your stupid little pet? I'll rip his head off too!" Neopolitan frowned at her after that, Cinder glad for just a moment that that smug fucking smile had dropped off of her face.

"Oh, Cindy... Don't you see?" She stopped at the end of the crane as she had walked, and steadied herself on her knee as she leaned over and looked down, tipping Torchwick's cane over her shoulder.

"For one, my son isn't my pet, and for two..." She pointed the cane at her for emphasis.

"You are." Cinder growled even as Neopolitan chuckled at her. Why could she possibly be here this time, if only to annoy her to death?

"I saw your stupid tar shit. We destroyed it. So what the hell do you want?" The woman leaned back up, giving her the smuggest look she'd ever been given in her life.

"I just wanted to give you a little present, thought you might like the memento..." She reached into the pocket of her fancy coat, and produced a golden necklace, dangling the pendant down on the chain as it shook back and forth before her. Cinder tensed up immediately, recognizing it instantly.

"W...Where'd you get that?!" she shouted, and Neopolitan tossed it down to her. As it sailed through the air, it was off by a few feet, and she practically dove to catch it. She caught the locket successfully, and stumbled to stay straight, clutching it tight in her hands. She opened her fist, and looked at it, it was object she hadn't seen in years...

Her mother's locket.

"Wh-" she went to speak, turning toward Neopolitan, only to find she was gone. Damnit! Why had she even done this? Looking back to the locket, she opened it, and tears immediately sprang to her eyes. The picture was one of herself, as a tiny child, looking so happy... She leaned against the wall of the building she'd been using to lean against before in the first place, and sobbed to herself.

It really had been just to fuck with her, hadn't it...?

 **[Author's Note: Mmm... Mmmmmnnn... MMMNNNHHH fhhhuuu- that chapter was better than sex. It was so... THICC with the plot, yo~*rubs nipples* Ahhh, am I glad this arc finally took off. We're on our way, BOYS AND GIRLS! Hold on to your bowler hats, parasols, dagger-bows, shotgun-gauntlets, sniper-scythes... Got your bags of pork rinds and or sandwiches? Huh? Great. Cuz shit bout to get crayzee up in hyuh.**

 **So what to say about this chapter? Fuck, I thought it was amazing. I'll probably reread it a couple times myself. As always, I only had so many plot points to get across here, and the rest kind of came from the woodwork. Penny? That was almost Qrow, actually, but then I remembered that the IMPORTANT airship was the one with Penny on it~ hue hue. Also, Nora's hard on for things that throw explosives as far as possible is flippin' adorable, right? Good thing I know a lot about military stuff.**

 **I really REALLY want Ren to just plow the hell out of Nora XD but of course, plot plot ploooot has to call for it! Booo~ haw haw haw. Although, idk, cuz people are reading this for a lesbian pairing, I'm not sure I should like, flop a bunch of dicks in their faces? I mean I probably will anyway cuz my bisexual ass likes to write about dongs too. Don't worry though it'll probably be as a bonus chapter after the thrilling conclusion. Hope you guys liked this one as much as I did! *fap fap fap***

 **To come: Yang. Is going. To beat. The SHIT. Out of someone. ;) See if you can guess who?]**


	22. Chapter 22: Cinder's Ocean, part 3

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 22: Cinder's Ocean, part 3**

Hiding something as simple as a necklace proved much more complex when the one you were hiding it from happened to be your lover, and that lover happened to be Ruby Rose.

The girl's pestilent curiosity was hard enough to stem by itself, but when the object in question was particularly shiny? It was like keeping a kitten away from a bright red ball of yarn. Having been lost in her memories, avoiding people, wandering for the better half of the last day by herself, it wasn't quite a wonder to her that the perceptive girl caught sight of her before anybody else. Ruby intercepted her as fast as she always had the moment she'd finally found her, and Cinder kept a lid on her emotions long enough that they could step inside again, Ruby knew she didn't want to rejoin the others yet. The building nearest them... It was that second warehouse, the one that hadn't been bombed, the one that actually had the stores of Atlas weaponry they'd originally intended to destroy...

But the dank, musky place seemed deserted now since most of the important goods had been moved about by the White Fang. The beam of light that filtered through the crack in the massive doors that lead to the dock caused the specks to hang in the air, whisking about in a flurry as Ruby stepped through it.

"Look," Ruby said softly as she wandered through the beam of light; spinning slowly to face her, she gestured about herself, arms wide.

"Isn't it crazy?" she questioned, Cinder knew she was trying to lighten the mood, point out how much their situation had improved. But Cinder, as awake as she was to the current problems they now faced, she couldn't bring it so easily onto her heart... That mantle of hope. It was a false veil, thin and useless, and didn't suit her in the slightest.

"Yes. It is," Cinder said, solemn, as she looked up into the shadows that crept from the back of the vaulted ceiling.

"Crazy," she croaked, her voice not wishing to agree with her due to the recent tears, "that you all think there isn't a bullet out there with your name on it already." When her hand found her throat, caressing it gently, it brought pause to Ruby's rebuttal, her face winding up in her confusion.

When Cinder looked at her, she nearly froze, because the picture her face painted was one of fire and flame, she hadn't seen it since that day...

"Cinder?" her voice slipped gently from her lips, and Cinder's eye traveled over her. In her palm, the Maiden rolled the oval shape of the golden locket in her hand, slightly behind her back, it was growing far harder not to think about it. Neopolitan was too good... where had she even gotten this artifact of her past? She'd lost it so long ago... When they took her. Breaking out of that cell hadn't remedied that problem, either. But now, as flustered as she was, she grew calm when the length of its chain slipped gently around her fingers, coiling to their curves with a feeling oh so familiar.

"I don't care how many men the White Fang brought. Or if you silly children think what you're doing will have any effect." Her quiet voice almost echoed in the vastness of the partially emptied building. It was a relief not to have to strain herself... While her voice had healed quite a bit, she was getting sick of using it lately...

"The Grimm will come. Or haven't you noticed? The absence? ...Remember the east, where we just were. They're right there. No doubt-"

"Atlas has been murdering them by the dozens. With what's been going on?" Ruby was smarter than she seemed, Cinder had almost forgotten. In fact, except for their recent encounter in the office, their relationship had been limited to nothing more than basic survival...

"That means Atlas has troops to spare. They don't even view the White Fang as a real threat," Cinder said.

The problems she'd faced when they lived together were starting to return, and frankly, it was getting on her nerves. Ruby had been busier mourning her losses than thinking of a clear strategy to stop the beast that Ironwood had provoked into inevitable happenstance. They needed to make sure it never happened again, not focus on what did happen. Cinder's mind was attempting focus, but with her thoughts clouded by her memories of Raven, of her mother, the locket, those men, those beasts...

Ruby remembered now what the look on her face meant, when that curve of Cinder's mouth carved just a bit more from the marble frown she wore. It was the look of a killer. A hunter, a murderer. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. How was it that she had forgotten so easily what this woman was actually capable of? Was it the venerability she'd shown...? Ruby grew tense, watching her more closely now as Cinder's jaw squared and she ground her teeth.

"You don't yet realize, Rose," Cinder said, her voice growing rather clear for a moment, if not a bit under the volume... It was poetically beautiful, as she leaned to the side, the fringe of her hair spilling over her shoulder again with it's length. It had been growing slowly ever since...

"You and your friends, none of you are even considering the future here. What you're about to do. What you'll be forced to do... And the things you'll hate that you've done after you've done them. Regret is the deadliest emotion, Rose..." There it was again, why had she suddenly started calling her by her middle name?

Cinder stepped closer, and as she crossed into that beam of light, her face softened from that terrible gaze, into the conflicted one Ruby knew so well by now. As Cinder's eyes flicked away from her own silver disks, her brow furrowed with a tiny show of anxiety, as she reached out to grasp the wrist that threatened to place Cinder's hand to her chin in contemplation.

"Stop it," Ruby stated sternly, planting a foot for emphasis as she stared up at the Maiden.

"Don't you dare!" Cinder paused and stared down at her, if only out of her own perplexed thought. She'd caught her just on the edge of another trip down memory lane... Had she known?

"Don't you dare equate this to your past. Cinder, why would you bring that up to me?" The sudden look, the feeling of knowing... Cinder had just ruined Ruby's good cheer. Again... It fluttered away into the stale air just like the dust that moved about her as she tilted her head downward, casting a shadow over her face as she looked sidelong at nothing in particular. Guilt, shame? Is that what this feeling was? No... It was just the sickening feeling of Ruby being right once more. The only person who could ever be right, she guessed. So very right, there, and perfect, too, right?

Cinder started glaring at her own feet. Ruby's features spread into a smear of disbelief and annoyance.

"What, Cinder? What is it now?!" she questioned, her large boots stopping down in front of where Cinder's eye had fallen. When her face softened again, on this crazy ride of emotion, Cinder was finally bombarded by that guilt, that shame that finally came when things went this way. Ruby couldn't possibly understand. She didn't know what Cinder knew. But right now? The guilt she felt? The shame?

It wasn't caused by Ruby, it came only from herself.

Knowing what she'd done, and what she'd had to do, as well, the things she regretted, and some of the things she didn't... How was she supposed to apologize for being herself? She didn't know what was wrong with her. Should she apologize for losing the only person she'd ever cared about? Apologize for how it made her feel inside? How about when it had twisted at her soul until she did the only thing she could think to do?

Should she apologize for rebelling against the world?

Did she apologize for burning anything she touched out of fear of harm? Or perhaps for knowing what people were capable of?

There were so many things she hated about herself, because of what she'd gone through... She hated being experienced. She hated being weathered... She hated being tired, and she was tired of feeling this way. All she knew, constant anxiety... Even when the calm came, she only ever expected the ending of that calm... She was sitting at the tracks, waiting for the train wreck she knew would come if she waited long enough.

But in this moment, right now, there were so many things that she didn't know how to say, to express, that finally, it cracked her again, and her cheeks slowly shrivelled as the corners of her mouth wavered, managing to shock Ruby with the extent at which Cinder's face contorted in her emotional trauma.

If this was Cinder's truthful, ugliest face of sadness, then she was sure it would shatter her heart like a stone through a window if only it continued. But in Cinder's panic, she began to turn away, her hands finding her face, she was shying... Ruby was starting to panic a bit herself, what was she supposed to do about this?

"H-Hey, hey... Don't cry, what's wrong?" What happened? Cinder had gone from this strong, charismatic woman, to sudden ash in the breeze...

But for Cinder, it was growing worse. It had been years since her life had caught up to her, snowballed all at once and become crushingly difficult to bear, but... She couldn't keep the thoughts away, her memory was wandering too much... She collapsed to her knees, just on the other side of the crack of light, in the dust...

Ruby was quick to move to her side, there was nothing else she could think to do except cradle Cinder's head in her arms while the woman remembered. She'd seen Cinder space out for minutes at a time, before, but... This was different... She was clinging to Ruby so tightly, and her eye squeezed closed so strongly that she was sure it had to be pain that was causing it.

"Cinder, what's wr..."

Words. Had they always been so fragile? Perhaps one time, long, long ago, it was possible to say the right thing. But what could one do when the words never came? Or is it worse if they come, but pile up, a dam in a river, inescapable? There were no words for this feeling. Some use a fancy phrase, make it sound medical... But the truth sometimes doesn't have more meaning than the feeling it creates. To know something indescribable to others is both liberating and terrifying. It is the ascension of the mind passed the normalcy of mundane life without creation. It is the fear of what you might create, or what you might become.

There was a time, long ago, when words didn't have much meaning to Cinder.

"Wake up!" Slam! The usual rough clanging of metal bars, Cinder sparked from her restless slumber, trained to attention like a lap dog, this day started like a few others she'd had before... How long had she been in this place now? When she scrambled to sit and curl her legs into her chest, pressing her back to the stone corner, the heavy ring of iron shifted against the sore on her neck from where it constantly scraped at her flesh.

She'd already learned that there was no avoiding it.

Of course, it hurt. The two long, metal bars that marked the start of her cage which the man before her had struck with the butt of his rifle still reverberated, a low tone she despised almost as much as she hated this man. She had never learned his name, because any time anybody said it, she was quick to stop paying attention; she did this often, with anybody and everybody that she saw in this place, no names went into her memory. A cheap trick to stay detached... Except for one name.

The only thing she was sure she'd done right over the course of her life, until this point, was to learn. Never stop learning, her mother had told her, only her mind could set her free...

Just when she'd thought that maybe the stench of the cells wouldn't hit her this morning, it did, brought about by the reminder to breathe that came with another jolt of fear when the slaver spun and let the stock of his gun hammer into the other cage across the way. That, though... That was new. He had never done that before.

"And you, finish your food, you pathetic wretch!" The man turned back to her, made a disgusting noise with his throat, and spat on her, the thick mucus splashing onto her cheek and causing her to blink, stunned. As he walked away, laughing to himself, she grew disgusted, and scrambled to the small bowl of water she had, using the tiny bit she had left to wash it off. In her anger, she threw the wooden thing against the wall... There went her water, and now her bowl, too, as it snapped in half, bouncing about on the ground in two distinct halves as she collapsed into today's emotional trauma.

"No...! No, nono!" She reached out for the pieces, in a futile attempt not to accept their fate, she put them together again, but the bowl wasn't fated to stay whole, and it split right apart the moment she let it go. There, crouching before it, she brought both of her hands to her ragged, unclean hair, burying her grimy digits into her unkempt mop. Her eyes widened. She very well may have just killed herself, if they refused to replace her bowl, to stop giving her water...

The other cell...! The other cell had a bowl, right? There was someone in there now, someone new... Cinder pressed her young body up against the bars, half of her face obscured by the locks of hair she'd pushed in front of it when she'd ruffled it about... Hair that dirty tended to stick where it was moved.

"Hey...! Hey, you!"

In the darkness across the dim hallway, there was a figure, equally huddled up as she had just been. Scared, no doubt. Cinder was beyond such basic fear. She only feared the things that were worth fearing. There was little room in her fragile body for more emotion at this point. This was a memory, somewhere deep down, Cinder knew... But without control to stop what happened, it played like a movie in her mind.

A sniff was the response from the cage across the hall.

"Pst, hey. Give me your bowl!" she commanded, and repeated her demand when nothing came of the figure moving. Without any ability to place her rage toward her captors, as this tended to result in beatings, the dirty girl, clad only in rags, began to shake the bars of her cage.

"Give me your bowl!" she screamed, and shook harder, rattling the giant grate on its hinges. It wasn't anywhere near about to budge, but she thought maybe it made her more intimidating, and sure enough, the scared little shadow crawled over to the bowl and tossed it through the bars. It clattered across the ground, and Cinder, dehumanized, her eyes hungry, shoved her arms through her own captive wall to slide the bowl closer from where it had landed, until she could get it into her own cell. She laughed, she hugged it, she rejoiced that her problem was solved...

She wasn't losing her mind, she was only trying to survive.

But now, the thing had come closer, close enough to the light. And there, swallowed by the darkness, was a pale face, looking away, scared. Those two eyes... They were blood red, and she could see the speed at which they rose and fell with the terrified girl's breath. A girl. A girl just like her.

When those eyes looked back at her, the fear in them bled outward to this girl's mouth, her cheeks, her chin... Her whole head seemed to radiate from those eyes, and Cinder stared at them for what seemed like hours... But after only a few mere seconds, the girl with the jet-black hair turned to look away, whimpering.

"Oh please no... Is that what they're going to make me look like...?" Cinder could hear her mutter, and she stayed as still as she had become the moment she'd looked up. She was frozen solid, had become a statue in the center of her cell, sitting like a toddler and holding a bowl like it was a winning lottery ticket.

Why...? What exactly did she look like?

The existential pain of remembering exactly what was going on filled her every pore, and her heart began to beat faster. It was almost time now, wasn't it...?

There was a reason Cinder was still stuck in this place... She wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse, because she knew of only one way out. The only time anybody had ever left here was when they were sold... Sold to the highest bidder.

Cinder had never been sold because she had a nasty habit of biting people who got too close. The auctioneer had said the same thing a dozen times by now, putting a muzzle on her was a sure way to never get her off the market. They hoped to get rid of her by selling her to some poor sap who thought it was kinky. They weren't aware that one of their clients had turned them down after he thought just that... And Cinder had delivered a head butt square to his genitals.

She was only fourteen, but that didn't mean she couldn't stand up for herself.

"What are they gunna do to me...?" lamented the girl in the cage across from her... older than her, Cinder guessed, but what was age if not a simple number? Days were meaningless to her in here, anyway... What was the point of another change in such a silly number?

Her age was measured in her knowledge, her experience, she had understood that the moment her mother died, even after she'd stressed that point... She was only as strong as what she knew. Never stop learning.

"Oh, well first," Cinder started, figuring caution had long since been thrown to the wind. She was so bored in here that any chance to get any sort of entertainment was choice, it was all too easy.

"They cut off your fingers. Then your toes." Already, the girl was easy to influence, why wouldn't she believe the person who had obviously been here forever?

"Then, I hear they rip out your intestines, and hang you with them in the front yard for everyone to see... We're here for the same reason, to die for our lies."

The reaction she got was priceless. Sobbing and weeping, oh the tears she could no longer shed... She cried vicariously there, that bittersweet moment, all through this girl...

It was another thirty minutes before the sobbing stopped. Almost time, almost time... Or maybe not today? Did they even follow a schedule?

"How long have you been here?" she questioned, and Cinder approached the bars again from where she'd been pacing at the back of her cell after so many minutes.

"I have no idea," she said, the statement somehow incredibly sincere and almost nonchalant, for the first time she'd admitted that out loud, and it felt good, relaxing, to say it. She leaned against the wall of her cell, finger playing with the bar nearest to her.

"Fuck..." the girl muttered sadly, but Cinder only rolled her eyes. If she thought sitting in a smelly cell was the worst part...?

"Wh... What's your name?" she asked, and Cinder only stared. At this point, did her name really matter?

"I'm Raven," she said softly, and came now to the bars, leaning against them, grasping them. The distance that separated them suddenly seemed so very far, though they were only right there... Raven was so clean, untouched, beautiful... Cinder's eyes practically burned from seeing something so wonderful after having only the rock of her cell to stare at for ages... A lovely young woman, with a smooth voice... She wanted to grasp for it, cling to it, beg that the beauty deliver her from this horrifying nightmare... If she had a brush, she would have painted it, that flower blooming in the dust...

"Do you... Remember your name?" Fuck, Cinder thought, did she really look that crazy right now?

"I'm a person, you know," Cinder snapped at her, and eyed her warily, pacing to the other side of her cell, turning, though her head stayed in place as she watched Raven carefully.

"Fucking new meat, always so rude," Cinder chided, and then suddenly lurched against her bars, making Raven flinch slightly. Raven could tell... This place was evil... and the term Cinder used for her only solidified that fact.

"How many people have you seen come through here?" Raven asked, and Cinder looked away, hiding the twitch of her face when her mind played through all of the faces... How many had died, she wondered? How many wished they were dead, now? If they were dead, alive, did it even matter?

Cinder could only shake her head, and clutch at her hair again, resuming her pacing. Pacing was the only thing that kept her sane. It was a control she could have, she could pace herself how ever she wanted. Maybe only half the cell, this time? Maybe walk in arcs? Do a circle? Who gave a shit, anyway? They couldn't stop her from walking however she wanted.

After a time, Cinder had taken to her corner again, to Raven, she was muttering to herself... She couldn't really see in the darkness, but Cinder had curled up, shut her eyes tight, and was rocking back and forth. But Cinder was only trying to hold on... She didn't speak to herself, not yet... But the light lullaby she sang cleared her mind of all thoughts but the words, her mother's voice flowed through her, it allowed her to forget, if only for a moment... Forget she was here, her mind grew free, she had only what she knew...

"Lover's Light  
Shining golden, turning on inside  
It really seems to burn so bright  
When you're on the rise..."

Raven could only think her jail-mate had lost it. She contemplated what torture Cinder had been through... But Cinder knew, comparitively, perhaps it could be worse? Somewhere, someone always had it worse, and when the warden of their sentence finally came back from his lavish breakfast, she didn't so much as budge, despite the fact Raven was well on edge, trying to hide away on her haystack bed under that flimsy blanket... They only really provided it so their merchandise didn't catch a cold and lose value. Cinder already knew it wouldn't hide a damn thing.

"And when you come  
Your smile fills my cheeks and steals the Sun...  
And stops this world from burning~  
La la la, la la..."

"Heh, looks like this one's finally startin' to go nuts, eh?" the Jailor quipped to Raven, who only stared at him warily as he unlocked Cinder's cage.

"Up, you sack of shit!" he shouted at her, and Cinder at first didn't move, testing him. But the moment he made a move toward her, reaching for the billy club at his waist, she scrambled to her feet. Obediently, she stretched her hands out together, wrists up in front of her... She knew the routine. She was used to having her hands cuffed in a single, metal shackle, but today there were ropes. There had been ropes before, she didn't know why or care, but as he tied the rough cord about her, she was already growing agitated. He pulled it so tight that it dug into her skin... She knew this man hated her guts, out of all the rotating guard she'd seen here, he was the worst... And he spared her no quarter as he tightened it enough she could feel the tips of her fingers start to tingle at the loss of blood-flow.

When she was finally bound he unchained her collar, and grabbed the back of it, throwing her like a diseased puppy into the bars of the cell across from her. She slammed loudly against the metal with her own shackle, and Raven jumped at the sudden noise, backing away from her door. When the boot from the man collided with Cinder's head, there was a moment where their eyes met, and Raven's widened in shock... Cinder would never forget that look, and Raven the same; Cinder spun and toppled to the floor, cutting her lip on the rough stone, it started to swell even as she scrambled to her feet and over to the secondary cell door that served as the exit to their little jail wing. Once the man had dragged a protesting, kicking, screaming Raven, now bound by Cinder's metal shackles, from her cell... They could finally get on with it, proceeding single-file toward the auction grounds.

This happened most days...

"Don't worry," Cinder said, the guard didn't stop her from speaking because he already knew what she'd say.

"The pretty ones sell quick," she said to Raven, who's look of dread gave her that sick sense of amusement she'd grown slowly to enjoy over the course of her imprisonment.

"Oh if I could  
See you just once more I would  
But as the fireflies fly away  
I know you were never meant to stay~

So spread your wings  
Take your heart and your precious things  
Spread your joy to the world, you see  
For you've already done enough for me!"

By now, Cinder was singing loudly. This wasn't normal, and the guard grew agitated behind her.

"Shut up, you crazy bitch!" he shouted, and she glared over her shoulder at him.

"Lover's Light!  
It burns until it eats me up inside  
I only wish to take away your life!  
Or maybe I just wish you'd just let me die!" She taunted.

When he tried to move after her and force her to stop, she laughed like any self-respecting insane person should, and leapt away from him. The one time he thought he wouldn't have to bind her feet! They hadn't made it out of the jail wing yet, and he was already chasing her around the place, swearing and threatening to shoot her. She knew he wouldn't unless she attacked him for real...

But perhaps she regretted this part of the memory the most, because of what happened when the guard caught her... He finally had managed to get a few fingers into the back of her collar as she was jumping over the table she'd overturned, and as he yanked back on it, her head jerked hard and her neck wedged with the metal collar, she fell backward to the stone floor and slammed her back square against it with all of her weight and only an iron collar to break the fall. Her neck snapped back, her head hit the ground hard. Disoriented, she slumped to the floor, and groaned, the man above her smirking and laughing at her... Stepping over her prone body, he delivered a kick hard to her ribs, then again, hitting her shoulder, continuing to beat her despite the fact she was already down for the count. Cinder couldn't do much else but use her arms to shield herself.

Raven, seeing how helpless this girl truly was, made a grave mistake, and tried to step in. She rushed at the man and threw her weight against his larger form, but her bound hands were too easily exploited, and he grasped her shackles, and swung her around, letting go and causing her to careen square into the wall. She slumped down, as Cinder blinked slowly, trying to stop her head from spinning. The Jailor crouched in front of Raven, and lifted her chin.

"Feisty one... I like that. Spicy, but not crazy like this one over here... And so pretty, too..." Raven could barely protest without wind in her lungs as he yanked her to her feet. With his other arm, he reached down and grabbed Cinder, dragging her uncaring across the stone, tossing her harshly into her cell and slamming the door shut.

"For your stupid shit today, you get to watch," he said as his evil laughter rattled through her swimming head. Cinder had to get a grip here... Life or death, life or death...

She slowly was regaining her focus, but the more she did, the more she understood what was happening. She could see through her blurry eyes the man throwing Raven to the floor, on her pile of hay... She could see him as he pinned her down, moved over her. She was screaming... No... Not like this. There were no words to describe how she felt just then. Oh, how fragile words could be.

Through her throbbing head, through the glorious call of sleep not earned, she stood, to her feet. The cries of the helpless girl, at the mercy of someone far too drunk with power, they filled her soul... Cinder was done. It was finally over. As the last straw broke within herself, the hopelessness that had been winding up outside of her center exploded, and all at once it filled her heart. She accepted how worthless her life truly was. How worthless this man's was, how worthless Raven was...

She couldn't bare the thought of that flower in the dust withering.

As the cloud filled in the holes gouged from her soul by the pain, it grew denser, denser.

"No, please...!" Raven cried. She was fighting as hard as she could, the man was laughing, even with the scratches on his arms now... She could see pale flesh, as white as that face in the dark... The light sparked something inside of her, and all at once that cloud of hatred and sadness ignited, and it scorched her heart, the combustion within her. As her emotions boiled, finally the rage that she had pent up so long found its medium, and exploded forth from her, she could feel it. The air about her grew suddenly dry, but also so very... Delicious. The heat was radiating from her... it burned away the smell, it destroyed the cold.

As the fire first poured from her eyes, she could suddenly see. See everything. She could see the lack of value, the pointlessness of it all, but once more, she could see through this darkness that had plagued her in her solitude. Nothing mattered now. Nobody could hold her anymore.

Placing two hands to the bars, she squeezed them tight. Then tighter, and tighter... As they slowly grew red, and Raven continued to struggle, slowly losing the fight, Cinder opened her mouth in defiance.

She began to hum, and then to chant, and then scream with all of her might that single piercing note of rebellion, it drowned out the screams, and the voices she heard outside in response to her sudden yelling, the shuffling, the laughter...

The bars to her cage simply melted, and as she stepped through, the Jailor turned to regard her, realizing his mistake.

Before him stood a naked girl, her hair flowing. Her eyes spewed forth the fires of war, the ashes of her clothing evaporated away in the stagnant air, a molten, sagging collar hung about her flesh. The heat didn't seem to effect her. Even the dirt cracked and peeled from her flesh, and Cinder wore the face of a calm, distant stranger. Cold, indifferent. He was stunned, he couldn't even comprehend what was going on, but when she pulled the liquefying iron from her neck, she swiftly moved to her knees, and reached through those bars... Her hand found his ankle, and she tugged at him so hard he slid along the ground, clutching at Raven to steady himself.

"Let go of me!" he cried, as she latched her other arm to his opposite leg, and pulled again, dragging him ever closer.

The moment the fabric of his clothing burst into flames, he started to scream for help. With each pull, her touch grew only hotter, her eyes grew hungrier, and Raven watched, paralyzed, as the man's boots began to melt onto his feet. His words failed him quickly, however, as the agony overwhelmed his feeble mind, and Raven watched as Cinder's heat devoured him slowly, even as the response from outside seemed to increase at the shouting of the man now being burned alive before her.

She pulled him through two of those bars, they heated so much they turned nearly white... The smell of death by fire filled the chamber, and as she finally tugged him the last of the way through, she left the steaming remains of his three-sectioned corpse right there on the floor. His bones had begun to bubble in places where the skin has split from the heat and exposed it... His flesh blistered, his hair burned like the fuses to bombs, and still Cinder's face hadn't changed the whole time as she watched that man die... So calm, now, even if she'd screamed so loudly in her initial anger... Raven was in shock, she could barely comprehend what she'd just witnessed, and when the girl turned and began to walk away, she finally snapped out of it.

"Hey... Hey! HEY! What about me?! You can't just leave me here...! HEY!" Raven lost it... She tore at her cage as she watched Cinder's back move away, the nude form of the girl coated completely in a shimmering heat wave... The flames of Cinder's eyes glittered in her own when she finally slowed, realizing there was nothing more to do. Cinder wasn't going to let her out... But the moment she had that realization, she collapsed onto her makeshift bed, trying to process this... The scream, oh that man's death throes...

But Cinder... Broken Cinder, poor Cinder, she was overcome with her ire. It burned so white hot within herself, that hatred, that undeniable burden, that she could only let it out. While her face didn't reflect it, she remembered it clearly. Every single second she'd felt like that, so empty inside, so cold, finally broken, finally dead...

"Stop!" The first man she came across had shouted, pointed a gun at her. Just three seconds, that's all it took, Cinder had walked right up to him and well before she'd stepped closer, the metal of the weapon he carried had heated so much there wasn't a way he could hold onto it without it scorching his flesh. It fell to the floor, just like his body after she'd put her fist through his chest. She remembered, when she watched the light leave his eyes, just how easy it had been. Her power, her Semblance... It had come to her in her time of greatest need. It was the power to escape, the power to flee. The power of her heat was only the reflection of her will; finally, she had become ready. Ready to burn anything in her way just to survive. She was the only one who could remember, remember her mother, her wisdom, those words...

She had drawn the knife from the man's boot, it hadn't been very well-concealed. She walked like a ghost down the halls of that slave market, she had seen the others there. Huddled in their cells or their cages, chained, maybe slightly dirty, but nothing like where she'd been... Months, and months, and months. The beatings, the hunger strikes... How many times had they held her down and shoved slop down her throat? Never again, she thought, wreathed in that halo of fire... That day, she had been immortal. That day was the only day she had burned like the Sun.

The bullets had melted before they even touched her skin. The metal itself had evaporated before her.

The next two men ran when the guns didn't work. What else could they do, those simple fools? Their weapons didn't have any effect. But when those slavers started to run, so did she. Springing out of her like a fountain of energy, her anger had all at once possessed her once more, that cold indifference finally yielding to her pure, unadulterated rage. Her Aura saw her faster, stronger than ever before, when she'd caught up to one of the men, she had dragged him off of his feet with one hand, engulfing him completely in flames in a second flat, with a mere will in her mind. Her eyes had become callous, now, bleak... They coursed with the inferno, that pool of her feelings finally set free. She began to laugh as she watched that man slowly burn to death while his friend tried to hide...

She'd played a game of cat and mouse with him, she remembered, she wasn't proud of it any more. But after so long without any hope, when she had suddenly had all the power... It had been so sweet, the taste, that it had corrupted her almost instantly. She could hear his breathing. This place, with the lack of light, some half-cave-half-structure somewhere in the mountains, he had thought he'd be safe turning a few corners. The sound of footsteps was catching up to her, many of them... The welcome crew had finally come to see her.

The fire pouring from her eyes made it all too easy to find the fourth guard. He'd hidden in an empty cell, she ignored the moaning, the pleas for salvation from the groping hands of the captives around her. They... They were worthless. But not as worthless as the swines who would do such a thing.

She found him finally whimpering and cowering for his life in a corner. It was the first time she came to view another human as an animal, something less than worthy of life... So pathetic, there, broken by a simple display of power. For him, she used the knife. It was the first time she had felt a blade pierce the skin of another by her own hand. The surface tension, what it was like... Sliding it into that cut of meat, the surging of fluids, red and bold as it came out like a waterfall, cascading over cloth, soaking it crimson...

She remembered, of all the wounds she inflicted on that defenseless, helpless man-child, her favorite. When she'd sliced open his throat to end his misery, she'd heated the blade, and as his final gurgle poured from his throat, it had washed away in ash before her, so beautiful... There one moment, and gone the next. No value at all. She needed to leave this place.

Cinder's conviction sidetracked her the moment she left the jail wing of this elaborate tunnel labyrinth, three paths lay before her in a four-way intersection. From one, she heard the boots of the men scrambling to respond to all the terrible yelps of bloody murder, and from another, confusion. The third, she ignored in preference of acting on that moment of confusion... She was young, only fourteen, but the last six years hadn't been spent in vain. They'd moved from the countryside, to a city... She was witty, smart. Those simple words were easily exploited.

"What's going on?" somebody said, and she floated weightlessly toward it, like a flame to a moth. Just as soon as she rounded the corner, and her eyes met those of the group of thugs at the table, she was off like lightning. The sheer strength of her ability amazed her. She had gone from no control, to full control in the blink of an eye. All she'd had to do was accept that she was already dead.

Her hands were small back then, but she remembered how amazed she was when she had reached into a man's skull for the first time as a hot knife does through butter. She remembered the distinct lack of feeling anything on her flesh. Nothing could touch her. Brain matter, bone, sinew, she could cut through it all and not a speck of the mess was left.

But the second man had gotten it far worse. His stupid face had offended her senses, it jerked at her unwound emotions, forced a burning burst of lava to issue from her mind. She hated that face. She wanted to tear something.

Like a ravenous dog starved for days she had jumped upon him. The need to put her full strength into every muscle in her body, like a craving, had washed over her, and as she sunk her teeth into his shoulder, he shouted in horror as they dug in. She tore at him like a cat, assisted by her overwhelming infrared emission, ripping his clothing, his skin, his muscle... She had torn a man apart with her bare hands. She'd seen it all inside of him. It sickened her, but made her feel powerful. She hadn't, at the time, even registered how much blood had already soaked into her flesh. She wasn't even finished, but she was sure in retrospect that at this point, it would have already taken a few days to wash off the blood.

The third man at the table had panicked and tried to run simultaneously... A slightly heavier-set body, and the pudgy thing was doubled over, hyperventilating in the corner.

No escape. The boots drew closer. For them or for her? Them, or her? Cinder was unaware of the sounds that were gurgling from her own throat... The animalistic noises of a girl gone mad with retribution for her torture. She stalked up to that man, then, she must have looked something terrifying. The blood-soaked arms, rusty red mist evaporating slowly off of them as the heat did its work... What must it have felt like, to feel her approaching? To suddenly begin to sweat so profusely, more than you already were, to choke on the air like he had...

Strangling him had only taken seven seconds. Seven. She'd never beaten that record since. He died with the money in hand for the sale of some sad soul. She wasn't sure which of the others was the customer, or maybe he was...? It didn't matter, because the scene she left for the boots to find as they marched into the room was one that warned of carnage and turmoil. But, stubborn as the human brain must have been, Cinder's simple hiding spot was more than enough to lure them in. Nobody could fathom what was happening, nobody knew what they were looking at. Two men with guns, and one unarmed, slain brutally and left strewn about their dirt-floored hole in the ground, blood soaking one, with a burnt-out head, another torn to shreds as if by wild wolves, and a third, seemingly untouched, but dead none the less.

The group of gangsters or slavers or... whoever these sick men were, as they examined the corpses, she supposed there were... Eight? Nine of them? Her memory had grown more blurry with time, especially toward the end. They hadn't expected it at all, to see a young girl, completely naked and covered in blood, step out from behind a crate, her eyes on fire. They hadn't expected it at all, either, when that girl suddenly shouted as loud as she could, in pure hatred, before she filled that room with fire, soaking it in a plume of flame that shot from her body in every direction, consuming everything.

As she walked from that cave, soaked in the blood of her sins, her mind wasn't on the taste of freedom she felt when she fell to her knees in open air for the first time in ages. It wasn't on the prisoners she'd left behind... She knew they would be found, because everything she came near was burning... including the plants here. They'd see the smoke, wherever she was.

No, her mind was on the men, and their screams, their faces as she murdered them.

They hadn't looked anything like her mother. They hadn't died anywhere near the same way. Her mind thought of their lives, ended, the blood that soaked her fingers... Cinder floated, for the first time, in an ocean of blood. Cinder's Ocean had only grown larger since...

She shook slightly in Ruby's arms when she finally snapped out of her memories, the vivid recalling hadn't lasted nearly as long for her lover as it seemed to have for her, but in any case, her actions had worried the Huntress beyond a doubt, clutching to her so hard like that. She had heard the breaking of seams somewhere on her clothing, Cinder was tugging on her shirt, pulling it against the back of her neck.

Ruby felt helpless watching her there, curled into a ball, tears barely able to squeeze passed her shuttered eye, but when she seemed to break free of her spell, and that amber eye shot open, Ruby was quick to reign her in with gentle hands.

"Cinder... Cinder! Are you okay?"

The confused woman had to collect herself for a second, she was staring at her hands, breathing hard, slowly calming... When Cinder finally touched her fingers to her own forehead, Ruby moved to help Cinder lie down in the dust, head on her lap. She knew Cinder didn't care about dirt, dust, anything like that... She never really had complained about it once.

"Ruby, I'm sorry," she finally whispered as her gaze turned to look up at the Huntress.

"Sorry? Don't be... For what?" Of course. Typical Ruby, think of others first then sneak in the curious afterthought...

"For everything. All the shit I keep putting you through," Cinder answered, and Ruby furrowed her brow, touched Cinder's cheek.

"It's tough. I won't lie to you... But it's worth it, Cinder, to see you changing. You said it wouldn't happen right away, and... Well, I'm trying to support that. But you've been acting so strangely, lately. Like you're too serious, disconnected, like you're going back..." Cinder's head was throbbing, and her chest hurt. She wasn't sure why, but she was sure it was related to the feelings surging through her veins right then.

Neopolitan, Atlas, the Grimm... Blake, Cinnamon, Ruby, Yang... That silly faunas with the long ears, that stupid robot, Jaune d'Arc... All of the people caught up in her mistakes, she guessed. Would Atlas have done this if she hadn't weakened Vale initially, enough that they could? She'd personally rampaged the town, even after being converted to their side. She'd made Ruby cry plenty of times, made her look at horror, stare it in the face... She'd watched this town turn itself inside out, maybe a third of the population must have been gone by now, after the last couple of months.

"I'm a terrible person," Cinder groaned, covering her eyes with her hand, her fingers could feel the cloth that covered half of her face, but she pulled at it, yanking it from herself. She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back over her head, and a lump formed in Ruby's throat. It was probably the first time she'd seen it; there was a hole in Cinder's head, right where her other eye would sit, complimenting that lovely, wicked gaze. But Ruby, upon realizing the full extent of the damage she caused, let herself feel the disgust... Cinder tried to calm herself, and that thing on her face wasn't helping. Ruby was helping, though, running her hands through her hair as they lay in the dim warehouse.

"You're not terrible, Cinder, you're just misunderstood. Maybe you even misunderstand yourself?"

If Ruby was trying to help, that wasn't how to do it. She growled, but again, Ruby was right, she probably didn't understand herself at all, considering she couldn't even figure out why she felt this way. Was it because she had been alone so long?

Was it the things she'd stolen to survive? The things she'd stolen after that, just because she'd wanted them?

"I killed them, Ruby," she whispered, her eye looking over her hand, the back and the front, she could almost see the blood, slowly turning into steam, soaking into her, penetrating all the way to her bones... The blood of others, of those she'd ended, and those she had yet to end.

"I killed them all. I didn't even hesitate. Even Pyhrra..." She held up both of her hands, just like she did that day, Ruby could remember it so clearly now. She burned her to ash, dropped her circlet on the ground, gone forever. Just like that, turned to cinders. Had it even been hard, she wondered? Pyhrra, so strong, defeated so easily...

"I've done unspeakable things," she said, "I've taken what I wanted, I've taken those very same things from the people who needed them most..." She gripped Ruby's arm tightly, looking up at her with that hollow gaze, the missing eye, that dark pit of despair that seemed to be haunting her lover so tightly.

The Huntress touched her Maiden's cheek gingerly, cradling her, watching her with sympathetic eyes.

"Cinder... What happened to you?" she questioned again, like she had before, her mind wandering over to the mysteries she had started to pull out of her lover's life before Vale became a hell hole.

"Nothing good, I know," Ruby continued, brushing her hair about some more, it was calming, but it was also impossible to remove this feeling. She wanted to apologize again, the sense of foreboding she couldn't shake was only growing inside of her.

"I can't describe it," Cinder admitted, and then pushed her palm against Ruby's, the locket there in sliding into her hand. She didn't know what it was at first, the cool metal felt strange until she also felt the chain, Cinder's fingers played with it, coiling it around their digits, binding their hands together briefly.

"It's a necklace...?" Ruby questioned, and Cinder nodded.

"A locket. My mother's." She chuckled, but the sound was dripping with an undertone of anger.

"Neopolitan gave it to me. Can you believe that? She somehow found it... When I was trapped in there, they took it, I thought they'd sold it off for a cheap bit of money... But how did Neopolitan get it? How did she get my mother's locket?"

There was something she was missing, some piece of the puzzle. Her mind careened to and fro, trying to make the connection, but it failed her, it was lost. Ruby opened the locket, she looked at the picture. The slight pink that touched her cheeks allowed Cinder's mind to refocus on the moment briefly, Ruby was... Smiling.

"It's you," she said so softly that Cinder's ears started to ring slightly as the air grew still, those two, simple words echoed in Cinder's head. Was that really her? Not anymore, right? The girl in that picture was gone... Dead.

"You were so cute," Ruby said, a mixture of sadness and humor in her aching voice, her fingertips brushed the scar along the side of Cinder's face.

"You were so pretty... I can't believe I ruined it... I still think you're so beautiful, but what I did..."

Why hadn't Cinder seen it before now? Ruby wasn't without her guilt. Perhaps it was the worst thing she'd ever done to another person? Surely it wouldn't stay the worst, that list always grew... And Ruby, caught up in this little war of theirs, well... It had only just begun.

"I just can't get over it," Ruby muttered, looking away, and Cinder was quick to reach out for her cheek, turn her gaze back.

"No, Ruby. Remember what I said. Look at it, don't shy away. Sugar coating reality... It is only lying to yourself, and lies always convolute the story." Her cheek was stained with tears from earlier, still, but Ruby ran her thumb along it anyway, and offered her lover a sad smile.

She hadn't had a chance to really process everything, but here now, alone with Cinder again, she felt like she could. Blake's death shocked her for the second time as the denial left her mind, her friend was gone, there was no bringing her back...

"How many more are going to get hurt?" she wondered, her fingers now lingering on her own scars, the small, scattered marks on her cheek from the shard rock that had impaled her. Cinder had always found them beautiful, poetic, small pieces of reality scattered over an impossibly beautiful face, breaking the beams of radiance with the patches of darkness, of truth.

"Enough," she stated bluntly, "maybe even you, or me." This made Ruby's eyes threaten to water, and Cinder sighed.

"If I die-" A finger stopped her, pushed to her lips.

"No. I refuse to think about that," Ruby said, and looked again to the locket twined around their hands, to that smiling little girl with the amber eyes, that little red dress, or was it a school uniform?

How was it that this child had become the woman she saw today?

"...Was she nice?" Ruby suddenly questioned, her other hand moving to run over the glass of the picture, cleaning it of the flecks of dirt that has washed upon it from the air. This place would have practically been suffocating had either of them cared enough for fresh air, but it brought an odd sort of mood, this scenery, it enabled them to simply exist within the moment, free of the outside world.

"What?" Cinder questioned of Ruby, and the Huntress offered a little smile in reassurance.

"Your mother," she said, and Cinder blinked. Why had that surprised her to hear the question? Perhaps it was the fact that nobody had ever asked her that before. Nobody had ever really been curious enough about her family to do so... Or maybe it was just the fact they'd been too afraid to?

"Nice?" Cinder muttered, rolling the word over her tongue. It didn't taste right, not for her mother, it didn't do her justice.

"She was a saint," Cinder whispered clearly, her expression solemn, she looked so tired, worn from all of the turmoil they had been going through. It was a world away from how she'd been recently, the love they'd made, the mood she'd been in when they'd finally had a bath... Back to square one, she felt like, it was yet another conflict unresolved.

"So was mine," Ruby responded, offering another tiny grin. She was too cute, really. Cinder would have been lost without that smile by now.

"My mother died when I was still a child," Cinder stated, souring the mood though Ruby understood how that felt, completely.

"So did mine," she whispered, the fact Cinder already understood, considering the grave she'd seen, how young Ruby really was still...

"When they found out, they came for me..." She shifted, pushing Ruby away so she could stand up, dust herself off. She took in a sharp breath as her lover stood as well, leaned against her, and she clutched her Rose to her side.

"Who came for you?"

"I'm not really sure. I just know they were criminals, liars. Thieves. They stole not things, but people. When they found out I had no family, that nobody would ever come looking for me, they took me." She rubbed her temple, straining to remember.

"I never did figure out how they knocked me out..." She parted from her lover, to take a few steps toward the door to the warehouse, while Ruby thought about it. She'd never even heard of such a thing, a young girl, stolen? From where, right off the street?

"They caged me. Like an animal. Treated me just like a dog, like a Beowolf, like I wasn't any more human than an ant." Ruby remembered, she'd seen scars on Cinder's body at some point, somewhere... She'd never asked about them, figured they had been from battle, maybe, but now her mind wandered through all of the possibilities. It was an amazing display of terrifying scenes that she conjured, it shook her to her own core and yet Cinder hadn't even told her what had really happened, yet.

"I... It was in that filthy cage that I learned. That I understood the simplicity of everything." She had started pacing, but she was kicking up dust near her feet. Ruby watched, the prints she was leaving in the thick dust weren't simply from her feet, but small disks of clean floor, devoid of all of the dirt. The air was shifting, the dust billowed in slow clouds from the convection she was suddenly generating. The dust swirled lazily through the crack of the warehouse gate, and a cool breeze blew occasionally from it, brought in by the current of air that came about from Cinder's heat.

Cinder stepped through those clouds of dust like they were the smoke from the fires she had caused, her hand brought up before her. The warehouse, scattered with mostly useless supplies, dock irons, ropes, glass lanterns, fishing poles...

Somewhere in that mess, Cinder found a disk-shaped piece of metal, picked it up off the top of a crate, placed the center of it on the end of one finger. She spun it, balancing it perfectly, holding it toward Ruby. She recognized it, Qrow had told her about the zinc disks that ships had to use to avoid corrosion from salt water. Something about magnetism?

"This simple ball of rock we're on defines one grand scheme... This place we inhabit, Remnant, we call it. We can never leave here, except by one... singular... action." Her piercing gaze met Ruby's.

"Death," Ruby said, and the smirk that grew on Cinder's features didn't exactly ease her conscience of the situation. Smarter than she looked.

The zinc disk was starting to wobble as it spun, and it became apparent when the first drop of it hit the floor that it was melting over her hand. She let it fall, and it hit the floor with a loud, wet sound, slowly spreading into a puddle on the ground as it cooled off. It reflected the light filtering in, captivating Cinder's gaze until it slowly turned a dull grey, losing its heat. It reminded her of watching death, a slow fade to flat.

"And so I realized," Cinder continued, "that nothing here has value. Not you, or I, not the Grimm, or the soldiers... What do you fight for, my little Rose? Is it salvation? Happiness? Are you simply all sick of fighting, want it to end? Then why must the fight be finished, why not just stop?"

It was hard to really grasp what she was saying, for the Huntress, she had never so much as taken a man's life, only ever slaying the Grimm. But the Grimm, they came for man's emotion, and she was learning about possibility still, but her mind was making connections she hadn't ever seen before. The longer she stayed with Cinder, the more she knew, she was losing her innocence, and one day, it would have to be gone.

"What happens when you become happy, Ruby? You're happy, but it only lasts until something else comes along to ruin it... Or until you die anyway. There's no fighting that. We're all already dead," she said, and felt herself slipping, back to that place, to that feeling. The nothingness, that thick, black sludge building up inside of her. She could feel that thing within, waiting, lurking. It was preying upon her, it throbbed in its hunger, her chest ached. She had to control herself.

"When my mother was around, I was happy. I didn't need a father. I never had one. I had her, and she had me, and when she was around, I was happy. My mother loved me unconditionally, Ruby. She didn't punish me when I put a kid in the hospital for insulting her, she didn't reprimand me when I ended up in the hospital for picking a fight. She used to feed me, and sing me songs, and rub my shoulders, just like you do..." Cinder placed one arm across her chest, grasping her other, she looked at her feet, she stood in a ring of dustless stone, her heat died off as the dust began to settle around her from the air. Her nose tingled, but she refused to sneeze, instead exhaling sharply, letting the last bit of her Semblance out through that one gesture. The moist breath made the smallest wisp of steam trail upward from her nostril.

"You didn't have to see it when Summer didn't come home... But my mother, I watched it all happen, she grew more sick by the day, crumbled to dust in my hands when her life left her... Gone with the wind..."

Ruby could tell she was being figurative, but she could only imagine what a young Cinder might have done, watching her mother die in a hospital bed, just the two of them, leaving her all alone. It made her heart sink to put herself in those shoes, to imagine her own mother's passing. Cinder was right, she was lucky.

"I had nobody left. Other children never understood me, I was an outcast. Without my mother's savings, gone with the hospital bills, I was left with nothing. Did anybody aid me? The ruling party of Mistral, maybe? No. No, they did nothing. I was left on my own. The most I got was a shortened apology from the doctors. Busy trying to keep others alive, I guess. But what's the point, then? Why do we fight it, struggle? So afraid, everyone is always so scared of death. Just... Just look at Yang!" Cinder began to pace again as her tone fluttered back to ecstatic, she was growing crazed as her voice escalated.

"Just look at your sister! She lost one friend. ONE! She couldn't handle it! She broke down for hours, Ruby. And why? It was just one fucking faunas!" When she shouted that, and her hand cut the air, her face went from anger to shock when she realized what she'd just said. Ruby was eying her with a mix of emotions at that, and she looked away.

"But I know how you feel. It isn't the same as how I do. I see another body on the pile, and you see your friend, gone forever." Ruby's soft sniff alerted her to her mistake, but Cinder didn't look back at her. The Huntress was trying as hard as she could to listen, but to disregard Blake so simply...

"You have to look at it from the standpoint of truth, Ruby. The truth is, Blake was only one faunas of many. Death is inevitable, and it happens constantly. The rate might change, but it never goes away. Your goal, your little dream of seeing the Grimm gone for good, it's worthless just like the lives that cannot be spared in achieving that goal, because once you accomplish your grand vision, once you see them all gone, all the fighting stops... Then you are lulled into a sense of ease, a false hope, exploited only by the next enemy to cross your path. Atlas, in this case. We were close to taking Vale back. But now, what's even left of Vale? We're fighting over wooden huts and dirty alleys."

Ruby wiped at her cheeks, she could remember her own examples... She felt the same way she had when they'd both been on Beacon Tower, like Cinder was somehow her enemy again. Yet she knew it wasn't true, but the burning sensation that she couldn't reach out for her in comfort ached at her heart, she didn't know how she was meant to respond. Was she looking into the mind of a villain now? Ruby was starting to understand the standpoint of all she'd considered evil, if only to escape the significance of death.

"If Yang were here, she'd strangle you for talking to me like this," Ruby said, "for daring to speak about Blake like that. For daring to speak against hope..."

"Yang's not here!" Cinder snapped at her, clenching a fist in her hair, "and what happens if she dies too, huh? What then?!" Why had Raven called her the hero here? Why had she insinuated that it had to be her to save them? These Huntsmen, so green, so inexperienced with the possibilities of reality, of what human can do to human...

"I'm fucking crazy," Cinder said, and began pacing once more, "crazy to think you'd ever understand, crazy to think that this will work. Raven was right, you have no chance. No chance!" Ruby wasn't used to this side of Cinder, she'd never seen it before today. She looked ragged and worn, but not in any physical respect. It was her mentality, what was she going through? She was remembering and networking, attempting to ground herself back into something she could hold on to... Cinder was losing the war against herself.

Ruby stepped forward swiftly, and caught Cinder's wrist, dragged her hand from her hair. She found herself connecting a hand with the woman's face, slapping sense into her hard, as Cinder froze in place, her head turned to the side.

"Cinder, stop!" The command kept her quiet, it chilled her anger. Had she done something wrong again? It wouldn't be the first time. When her wrist was jerked, she stumbled forward toward Ruby, forced to look back at her.

"Stop doing this. Stop destroying yourself! You act like I'm not here, sometimes, like you can see right through me, like I don't exist! But I do, Cinder, I do..."

Ruby had taken to clutching desperately at her clothing, and Cinder eyed her cautiously, searching that distraught face as she coiled up into her chest.

"You're not crazy because you're different, Cinder!"

She repeated that phrase in her mind once, twice...

"You're not crazy. I will never believe that."

You're not crazy... Just different.

"Ruby..." The name rolled from her lips like the clouds of dust roiling deeper in the building, seeping from the doorway. She took her hand, clutched it to her chest.

"For the first time, in a long, long while..." Ruby's rosy cheeks turned toward her, those shining eyes sparkling with a layer of moisture.

"I'm truly afraid of it all." The Huntress bit her lip, squeezed the hand in her own harder. This problem was bad, there were no two ways around it. And from what she'd been told...

"Jaune and Penny... Blake, Weiss, Coco... Uncle Qrow, Professors Goodwitch, Oobleck, Ospin... Sun and Neptune." The names of those who were no longer around, be it through turncoat, programming, death, or circumstance. Ruby's voice was hushed as she said them. But even Cinder was confused where Qrow had gone...

"Phyrra," she finished, holding Cinder's gaze. Now she understood what it meant. The meaningless reality, the lack of presence, the changing of the wind. Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, Velvet, they had come back to them, but any moment they could be shot, or worse. Yang's mother had made her appearance, but she had never been there for Yang, the way Summer had, and now her mother was gone too, one day, simply never returning...

"You," Ruby said softly, and touched Cinder's scarred cheek, the Maiden's own hand found the back of Ruby's palm as she gave her a sad look in return.

"One day, Cinder, you'll find that little girl again. Scared and alone. And when you do, bring her to me, and I will show her the love that she deserves, with all of my heart. And until then, the world can be meaningless... But when you find her, I'll make sure that you know how much that means to me."

Cinder held her gaze for a moment, that cool and collected expression had been plastered back on, but she saw the crack of first a frown, which bent into a smile that didn't seem to express much happiness, but rather satisfied her instead with the simple acceptance of her words.

"That girl is dead," Cinder said remorsefully, but offered a smile still, her hand trailing upward and coiling into those red-tipped strands.

"But I'm still here. Like a Phoenix from its ashes... But nobody ever asked how the Phoenix might feel about it. Nobody, except for you."

The little kiss Cinder pushed against her forehead had her nearly embarrassed save for the fact they were alone, but the gesture was sweet in either case. Cinder had a way of making her feel special, more so than she already did because of her friends. They all regarded her as a capable warrior, they'd learned to trust her silly-seeming judgement, but nobody had seen through it the way Cinder did. Nobody had noticed that she viewed herself as normal, mundane, nothing any better or worse than the next Huntress.

But Cinder saw no meaning in such things like accomplishment, like popularity, like success. When Ruby saw her looking her way, she knew that Cinder saw only a girl, a naive, silly thing. So what was it that attracted her still? Was it this, the show of emotion? The fact Ruby wasn't afraid? That she called her on her flaws?

"Why do we do this?" Ruby asked, growing serious enough to pause Cinder's playful fingers as they toyed with her hair, looking passed the fabricated emotions to the simple reality of it. For hundreds of thin strands of protein, slowly growing from holes in her head... Well, for what it was worth, it was a beauty to behold.

"Do what, Ruby?" she asked hoarsely.

"Why are we...?" The question didn't feel like it had been loaded with the shells of doubt, so Cinder played with it in her mind momentarily.

"Claiming to love each other?" Cinder finished, raising an eyebrow. Ruby nodded slowly.

"That answer isn't easy to give," the Maiden mentioned, and she took her thumb and a finger, placing it under Ruby's chin. She gave her a gentle kiss, but moved back to where she'd been before, her eye searching again, reading Ruby's silvery gaze.

"To me... Love is fleeting. It's mostly meaningless, like everything else, except when it's real love, true love, some might call it... Well, that's one of life's greatest mysteries. It's impossible to know why it happens. It's impossible to quantify it all, synthesize an answer to your emotion. It is a ship in a storm, Ruby. Or haven't you noticed how difficult it is already to keep it alive?"

She thought of Cinder standing there, her eyes on fire... Blaming her. That dragon, frozen in stone behind her... She thought of her arms, buried in the thick blackness that had poured from her.

She remembered the two times she'd seen Cinder lying in a hospital bed, she could clearly see the look on her face when that bullet she'd fired, the one that had started all of this, it pierced right through her shoulder. And again, when she'd been hit saving Jaune, the very man who had turned against her. Ruby had seen her paintings, glimpsed her soul. Some of the things she'd said, the things she'd shown Ruby... Ruby was becoming a real adult, and Cinder had been there to guide that growth, without her even realizing it until now. The death she'd seen. The loss of hope when the Grimm invaded, took lives. The elderly couple swallowed by that horrible black ooze...

"I remember..." Ruby sighed and pulled away, and paced toward the wall where a support pillar held up the roof of the place without complaint. She pressed her back against it and let herself slide to the floor, burying her face in her knees. The red scarf she wore blew ever so gently with the breeze that rolled through from the current created earlier, the crisp air of the mid-morning felt good on her lips.

"It's funny, I guess... How I didn't really notice it before. I think I know why, love."

Cinder's eye wandered over her lover's form at the mention, and she took a few steps closer, slowly, her hips swaying gently until she came to a stop.

"It's because we're synonymous now," she said, Cinder considering what she meant.

"Think about it. We are a pair now, but not in the sense of a couple... We're like a pair of pants or something, Cinder," Ruby explained, the odd analogy simple enough, if a bit awkward. But Ruby wouldn't be herself if she wasn't awkward, she supposed.

"We're the same unit."

Mulling over the thought, Cinder tapped her chin, and sighed softly. It didn't take long to see her point. They had bounced back and forth, helped each other in equal measure, hurt each other in equal measure... But they'd always toughed through it, despite how every day seemed to have been a struggle from the start of it all, even if they'd only been together for a short time. Their lives were so complex, it had felt like ages since she'd been on that airship, contemplating her jump.

"You're right again." It sickened her to lose such power over understanding herself to somebody with a pampered life before recent years, but she let that feeling roll away, it had no purpose.

"So if I'm just as meaningless as you... Then at least we mean nothing together, and that means something to me."

Her choice of language was much more appropriate now.

"I don't ever want to be so alone again," Cinder said simply, crossing her arms, looking down. Ruby lifted her head and smiled back up.

"I know. I knew that the moment I saw you in the hospital after I put a hole in your shoulder. Your eyes show so much to me, Cin. And when I saw you looking down there, down to the ground, contemplating that fall... I didn't see the eyes of a killer. I didn't see a bad person. I saw fear. I saw a scared little girl who trusted nobody." Cinder's heart thumped at her chest. The pain had gone away from that place, where she knew that beast sat within her... It was replaced by a knot, uncomfortable and yet wonderful... Ruby had seen her for who she was, she guessed, like she always seemed to do.

For a second she was going to speak, but when she tried, she could only laugh. Cinder stood there, chuckling to herself, and Ruby smiled. She felt like her mission was going well, she felt like she was starting to understand Cinder better, even if there was a growing list of things that pissed her off. Ruby held onto those things, too, even if she wasn't ready to share them in excess, the moment wasn't fair for Cinder, she couldn't do that to her... Not until this was all over. It was better to try to understand, anyway.

Maybe Cinder wasn't so misunderstood after all?

Ruby looked out across the dusty floor, by now the light coming through their entry way had shifted angles, who knew how long they'd been in here. But when she looked to the place she was sure they'd use for an exit, she frowned, the gears in her head grinding to a halt when she realized how she felt in the now.

"I don't want to go back to them, now," Ruby said, and Cinder frowned as her curiosity was piqued in a bad way, and she squatted in front of her lover, eying her. She didn't need to say anything, Ruby picked at her own fingers, looking down at her hands, her legs spreading out in front of her.

"It's just... it seems plastic now, all of a sudden. You're... You're right, Cinder, they're disconnected from the facts. Atlas is going to slaughter us once they feel like it. All it would take is letting the Grimm through. Or maybe just using the soldiers stationed to exterminate them on us with their main forces. Why don't they come down here with an airship?" She crossed her arms, and hugged herself tightly, which prompted Cinder to do so herself, pulling Ruby up to her feet, holding her gently against her chest. She rested her chin on Ruby's head, and closed her eye.

"Because when you squash an insect, you have to wipe up the mess," Cinder said, and sighed. She knew the real reason why, though. They didn't want to kill every one who was here. They only wanted to kill her. Neopolitan didn't attack because she knew she couldn't do it, not yet... Cinder wasn't a push over like most of the others, though the stand outs among them were certainly considered as well, she was sure.

Nora Valkyrie was a particular problem because of the technology they used.

Velvet Scarlatina could take anything they threw at them and throw it right back.

Yang Xiao Long was angry, she was sure they'd seen it. Everyone could see it was a bad idea to mess with her right now. These were the people they didn't want dead. These were the ones they wanted to break. They wanted to use them. Neopolitan was interested in only one thing... Control. Slowly, the puzzle was coming together in her mind...

"Can we stay in here for awhile, Cinder?" Ruby whispered to her, and she squeezed her lover tighter.

"We can stay anywhere you want."

They embraced in the dim, dusty darkness, completing each other, thoughts of the useless world beyond those four walls filling their minds. Both of them knew that there would be an attack on Atlas soon, but maybe now they could be ready? Now they were ready to fulfill their meaningless purpose.

They were ready to slay the beast.

 **[Author's Note: Ahhh yes, this chapter... This chapter is one of the few major scenes that has been planned from the very start, it's one of the scenes I actually decided to start writing this story for. Cinder's flash back into the discovery of her own Semblance, when she finally snapped mentally and went on a murderous rampage through a slave den to escape. She left everyone else behind. It's not going to be mentioned in the story anywhere so I can just say it here: the implication was Raven learned her own Semblance after being trapped in a cell for days on end with nobody bringing her food or water. Her portals allowed her to escape, and get help, and free everyone else who was in the place. I had an idea for a scene where they discuss this fact and Raven gets all pissy about it, however I don't think it will make it into the final story. Raven's a big girl now.**

 **This was the event that essentially started Cinder's villainous streak. She became an uncaring shell of her former self as a defensive mechanism and burned every bridge she made, right up until Ruby and Qrow saved her life from herself. *pets this AU Cinder* Poor girl. Oh! So, a friend of mine from one of my sites I frequent at some point drew a picture of this fic's version of Cinder with the cowboy hat that Ruby gave her and a denim jacket, it was super legit cuz he's an amazing artist. I'll see about putting it up somewhere for ya'll to check out since of course this isn't AO3 and I can't just slap it up here.**

 **Also, apologies if I lost you with all the prolific speak about meaningless reality and junk, or if I got deeper than you could go, or you didn't understand my point, or whatever, ultimately it's meaningless if you did or not in any case ;) but yeah I'm sure this chapter won't be for everyone. I hope you liked it anyway. Toodles!]**


	23. Chapter 23: A Job To Do

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 23: A Job to Do**

The rolling winds had returned by noon. Awash, the docks swayed gently with the motion of the water, guided as it was by the currents of air. Alone together the pair sat, together speaking their minds on the matters at hand. They had already decided they were going to pursue Weiss, to find her... It was only fair, Ruby had proclaimed, that she know of Blake's untimely death. The two, while polar opposites, had at least been through a lot together. And while Cinder's way of thinking was rubbing off on the girl, Ruby showed no shortage of her own consciousness.

Cinder sat, smoking, biding her time, the strange mood she'd been in once her memories had ceased assaulting her had left, and she watched as Ruby paced, mulling it all over in her head. She felt anxious, but... It wasn't easy to accept reality, Cinder thought, remembering her own time spent doing that very same thing. The Huntress was taking it well enough... But Cinder knew, her time would come. That battlefield was a long stretch through scything fire, there was no making it to the end without going through the difficulty. But she could see the struggles she'd caused written all over that hardening face. Ruby's days of cheerful recklessness were finally leaving her, Cinder hoped.

Blake's death was the perfect catalyst to finally spark the thought Cinder had sought to provoke in the girl, her mindset would be sharpened forever by broadening her perspective to the possibilities of this fight. Cinder needed Ruby sharp, like that... Cinder needed her on her toes. She couldn't do this alone anymore.

She was hatching her plan. Weiss would know enough of the procedures the Atlas troops or possibly Schnee Dust Company were using, she was sure that she could be of assistance. Their goal was beginning to come to light. Neopolitan had overplayed her hand, it would seem, Cinder wanted to corner any bluffs...

"What could she possibly be after?" Cinder mumbled softly, and Ruby ceased her pacing. All of the stressing and thought they'd been doing had left its mark on the floor, the prints and clear patterns and wind-blown dust had created a scene of its own, the artwork of a predicament.

Ruby, lost in thought, continued to produce the noise of footsteps as she stalked back and forth in front of Cinder, and finally the Maiden looked up, catching her lover's gaze. Her intensity begged for an answer, and Ruby sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So... Let's try to get it all straight then."

They had a moment to think about their lives and the last period of it they'd spent together.

"Start at the beginning," Cinder said sternly, and leaned back against the crate behind her, she'd taken to lounging about the pile of them with that one catlike eye poised away and toward the ceiling. Ruby inhaled, but nodded curtly. Their story had taken its turns...

"Let's see... First, my mommy loved my daddy very much..."

Cinder's immediate twisting look of disgust broke a grin wider than chasm over Ruby's features. She couldn't help but laugh, it burst forth from her, rolling but brief.

"The look on your face was priceless... I'm sorry," she said, and Cinder simply reset her position, puffing a cloud of smoke that joined the particles hanging languidly in the air.

"First... Your gang killed Roman."

Ruby nodded at the statement, and her eyes cast over the dim scene before her as she remembered. It seemed so long ago.

"Yeah, that's right... He's clever, but not as clever as Weiss and Blake on a roll... Sad to say that won't happen anymore," Ruby said, her guilt hinting against her words, and Cinder rolled her eyes.

"What a pity," she said without conviction, and Ruby shot her a small glare, taking to holding up her fingers to count off her little list of events. Cinder's eye traveled to the shadow her hand was casting on the floor, regarding it curiously.

"Neopolitan escaped. To us, it seemed like maybe she left him for dead to save herself. But then, why is she wearing his gear? She went back for his body before the whole thing was over. So that means, she had Torchwick's corpse, which is why it was never found."

Cinder's eyebrow rose at that fact, a pretty good bit of deduction from Ruby... But of course, Cinder hadn't been prone to this information, considering her status after the incident. Bodies of the dead hadn't exactly been on her mind, either.

"Good, but relevancy is lacking..." Cinder propped herself up more on her elbow, and looked over at the Huntress.

"She and Torchwick go way back. I think she had a weird thing for him. I'd call it love if he had ever been capable of such a thing. Neo, maybe she is? She's got herself that new man now... I don't buy that whole ice cream theme bullshit. Just her way of disarming everyone, making herself seem so sweet and innocent..." Cinder's voice grew a bit hoarse as she ranted, so she stopped. Ruby instead picked up on her logic, continuing the thought.

"Neopolitan hid, like she always does. Went back for his things, sentimental value maybe... Sure. His weapon suits her parasol style, his hat is fashionable, sure, let's just leave that one to fate..." She tapped her chin, and stared at the roof. Cinder wondered why it was that Neopolitan had such a strange interest in her, momentarily... They had shared some crafty little shenanigans together in the past, but Cinder had never had any interest in Neo personally, so why...?

"Once Torchwick was dead, we had to deal with Adam and the White Fang. Blake and Yang parted with us there. That armada you all worked up to send at Vale, it was... Well, one of the most terrifying things I had to ever experience, but once my friends all rallied around me... It was like I was in a bubble. Not at all like it is now."

She could still remember the fire, though... It had been everywhere... They'd stopped the airships just short of Vale with a full-scale first strike, it had been their only chance, but it had paid off.

"Ember and Mercury were mine and Yang's to deal with, but... As you remember, it was Yang and Goodwitch that did them in... Glynda really saved my skin. Then you, and Salem..."

Recounting this part was something they had yet to do, a step in their relationship that both of them had known would eventually come. Better to trudge on through the gunfire than wait behind to find the bullet with your name on it had come to you, she thought.

"I remember how I felt when I first saw you. You were... So intimidating." Ruby's breath faltered, almost as if she were relieved to admit it.

Cinder looked over to her with a blank expression. She didn't dare lean one way or another on this topic. To show joy, or sadness at the statement, neither would suit Ruby.

Ruby wouldn't forget it. When the fight had begun, they'd found Cinder and her mistress on the bridge of their airship... The ones they'd been in were nothing like the ones Atlas had, far more primitive, but still airworthy and dangerous. Vale wouldn't have stood a chance at how many there were.

"We wanted to cut the head off the snake," Ruby continued, nodding slowly as she recounted her Uncle's daring plan.

"You were there for this part, of course." Ruby was walking toward her, so she sat up, and put out her cigarette. When Ruby stopped in front of her, Cinder looked up, Ruby was conflicted, it was written everywhere on her face. This part of their story was interesting to both of them, for it was the moment when their feelings toward one another had changed completely. Before, Cinder had thought of Ruby as ignorant, naive, worthless... A pushover, a big nothing. But the Huntress had proven to her that she wasn't any of these things. She had learned from the best, Qrow had taught her well, she'd imployed tactics, she'd used her speed... Worn her out, knocked her around, and then cornered her like a mouse. Ruby had been one of the toughest, most persistent people she'd ever had to fight, and it had showed again on the battlefield when they'd become partners.

"I entered the bridge of the airship, and there you were. Standing with your back to me, covered in the light of the sunset, power just radiating off your shoulders... Like you knew you could burn the world, and I don't even doubt you could. I was there to stop you from doing that."

Ruby took another step toward Cinder. It was the Maiden's hand that first bridged the gap. Ruby waited a couple seconds, looking at her, before she finally took it.

"You fought like a beast from the underworld," Ruby said, and chuckled softly, but her face grew serious when it faded.

"I thought you'd kill me," she added, looking to Cinder, her silver eyes gleaming with the thought.

"I felt like I would die there in the most painful, agonizing way imaginable, burned to a crisp, made to scream while my skin boiled..."

Cinder shrugged jokingly, and Ruby smiled again, but it washed away just as quickly as before.

"You came very close to killing me," Ruby stated, remembering. That made it twice now, with that ordeal at Beacon tower.

"Qrow took Salem. Got her alone, separated themselves from us. He wanted his bad luck to stay away from us. I think maybe he knew more about you then he let on? Qrow always seems to be like that... Even now. I know he's out there, working..."

"Stay focused," Cinder commanded, and Ruby nodded.

"Let's see... I attacked first, of course, you put me through the roof, that hurt by the way, then we squared off on the top of the airship... That's when Goodwitch and Yang decided they'd crash two airships together, so they did... The fuel leaked, the fires started, and took out a couple of the smaller ships with it in the collapse. Our team got out, while yours lost the fight all around you..."

Cinder's jaw had tightened, she didn't like to relive a defeat, even if it had been a fateful day and allowed her a chance at freedom. The absolute confusion of what possibly to do next had overwhelmed her... In a sense, she was glad Qrow had knocked her out to save her from that mess.

"Our fight continued. We traded blows, you actually caused me some internal bleeding in a couple places when you hit me with that explosive fireball thing..." Cinder's eyes wandered upward as she tried to remember. Had she used one of those?

"I had nasty bruises for a week, all along my rib cage." Ruby moved closer again, and lifted Cinder's chin with her gentle fingers.

"Salem died right in front of you. Qrow probably did that on purpose, considering he tossed her off the airship above us. Guess all that power didn't give her the ability to fly." While that might have been funny to Cinder at some point, the way Ruby said it, so very dry, it killed any humor the picture might've given her.

Watching Salem, a being that was supposed to wield true power, bounce off the top of a reinforced armor-framed zepplin... The irony didn't evade her, it was when she'd looked down and watched that fall that she'd first contemplated it... Jumping, killing herself, removing all of the suffering she'd dealt with once and for all. But of course, that thought had persisted for years, it was always close at hand and never worth acting on.

"I was lost, right then," Cinder said, and Ruby remembered her face, that contemplation... She touched Cinder's cheek.

"So powerful... You still didn't do it. You gave it your all, everything you had... But Qrow frustrated you, I saw it. He messed with your attacks from afar, gave me that opening... I took it, took the shot. I was afraid when I did, Cinder. I put the hole in your shoulder, but I was scared that you would be my first kill. I never signed up to kill people. That isn't what I got into this line of work for. I slay Grimm. I make them disappear from this world... Not people. Not even you, that was what I thought. Right then, when I saw your face, when I realized you might jump... I couldn't think of you as evil anymore. To me, you weren't. You were just scared."

"Which was true."

Ruby moved in for the kiss. Cinder had seen her build up, that tension of needed touch. Another petty flaw in Ruby's defenses, that craving of affection. So that was it, was it? Ruby loved her for her emotions? That splash of personality that erupted like a volcano at random? That side of her that could switch from sheer dominating charisma to pained suicidal contemplation at the drop of a hat? Or maybe Ruby was reading her all wrong in the first place?

"I..." Cinder was cut off when Ruby pressed a finger to her lips.

"Shh. Cin, I just want to say, I'm sorry I scared you. Made you think... I don't know what. Like you'd be captured again? Like you'd be killed? No, it wasn't death you were fearing. I know that now, I know you. You were afraid of being captured, of what we'd do to you. Or maybe, make you do."

"It was irrational," Cinder said defensively, batting Ruby's hand away, looking to the door. Maybe she should just ditch Ruby again if she was going to be this prodding...

Ruby intercepted her gaze by stepping in front of it, though.

"That doesn't matter, Cin," she said, using that pet name again. It was really starting to grate on her nerves, but at the same time... It was short, and said sweetly, it was starting to grow on her because of the sentimentality. Plus, there was the obvious double meaning of the name... She kept her face from smiling deviously, preferring not to change her expression for fear of Ruby getting the wrong idea.

"What matters is, you were afraid, and that was you. You are allowed to be scared, Cinder."

Her statement was a bit disarming, Cinder felt. Ruby had known what to say, and she was right... Why wasn't Cinder allowed to be afraid, of something especially that could have killed her? It wasn't worth lying to herself... She was allowed to feel how she did. Validation, it seemed, was all she'd needed in that regard.

"So when I saw Qrow go in to take you down... I signaled to him not to. Just a little shake of my head... He knew what I meant. He was behind you... I wanted to deal with it myself, but I guess he felt it was better to talk somewhere less ridiculous... I don't know what I was thinking, the ship was starting to crash with all the holes put in it, and all I wanted to do was keep you from jumping off... Heh." While Ruby smiled, and expected maybe Cinder might find humor in that as well, she reminded herself not to be disappointed when Cinder's expression didn't change at all.

"So he knocked me out," Cinder prompted and continued the story.

"And I woke up in the hospital. You got the apartment, I stayed in, tried to shut myself out, you didn't let me... I beat up some idiots in an alley because I was confused and pissed, you were busy with work. I started painting, I did a lot of introspection, and then the emotional tension caused by the aftermath of the attempted invasion drew more Grim... That big one appeared, but so did... Neo."

Back to the drawing board, Ruby thought. Why had Neopolitan appeared as the giant Grimm had?

"We both ended up out cold," Ruby said, pointing out the obvious hole in their knowledge.

"But before that, Neopolitan had showed up. This was the first time she'd pitted Jaune against me... and that was when he'd had Nora's help, too. They threw that aside though when they saw you fighting..."

Ruby sighed softly.

"You don't have to tell me you regret saving him. I know you do. I won't try to convince you it was worth it, but... Jaune is confused. He's a young man, young like we are, driven by his... Well, with Jaune, I'm not sure if it was love, or... Something else."

"The idea of Phyrra?" Cinder offered, and Ruby tested the thought slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"He idolizes her wrongly," Cinder explained, and looked back to the door and the crack of light flooding it now that Ruby had stopped obstructing it.

"He believed she was so very strong, and I proved that something as simple as a sneak attack could do her in. Just like I proved that nasty little robot of yours to be equally venerable." Ruby wasn't sure if Cinder seemed to be gloating, but figured it best to let it slide.

"I don't really care why he hates me so much, but I will say one thing... Phyrra was not the woman anybody thought she was. Strong, brave, elegant, she was none of these things. Instead, I can tell you that she was insecure, lacked focus, and fell far too easily for her own insecurities. But enough about her. Jaune chased me through the streets, I saved him, he backed off of me for awhile... But when we were in the hospital, what happened to that... Thing?"

Ruby rubbed at her chin, trying to recall any information she might have had regarding the outcome of their battle.

"I think Yang mentioned Weiss had the Dust Company clean up the... Oh, my."

Cinder smiled slowly. She knew they needed to find Weiss first, but with this deduction, now they knew why...

"So it's possible that maybe Neopolitan had a hand in the aftermath of the Storm Bat?" A loose end if Cinder had ever found one. They'd have to find Weiss to know more.

"And then it was more clean up duty... Neo was scarce after that, even Qrow I think mentioned it," Ruby continued, trying to remember any relevant details.

"You know," she thought out loud, prompting Cinder to glance over.

"That was around the time I really started to notice how much you'd changed... I think you were becoming who you'd always wanted to be, but never were allowed to be. Still are, right?" Cinder shrugged, and glanced away with a frown, but it was the closest Ruby knew she'd get to acknowledgement.

"Your paintings are beautiful," Ruby reminded her, and Cinder blushed immediately, her jaw tensing and lips pursing ever so slightly; Ruby didn't catch it in the dim lighting, luckily enough for her.

"I wish I could paint more," Cinder admitted, and Ruby brushed the hair out of her Maiden's face, smiling to her lover. The scar that pervaded one side of her visage reminded her of her own power, her Silver Eyes, the capabilities...

"Then came that incident," Ruby said, her tone growing grim as she digressed, thumb sliding along Cinder's scarred cheek.

"The thing that came out of you..." The way her voice had dropped chilled Cinder's heart, she wished it hadn't happened...

"The thing; I can still feel it in there, I don't care what Oobleck thinks." She wasn't so naive to believe she had escaped danger. The nature of that beast in there, though, she didn't understand at all.

"It hates me, doesn't it?" Ruby asked, and Cinder nodded slowly.

"Neopolitan did something to me, something sinister... Something related to what she's doing to Vale. I don't buy this Atlas bullshit for a minute, even if it is serious, it's gotta be a cover for something else she's planning... You locked that thing in me away just like you did the dragon. It's still in me, but encased in stone, in some sense... Maybe not physically this time, but I feel it there, lingering..."

Ruby's concern touched her face, Cinder shook her head and gently took her hand. It wasn't worth lamenting over anymore.

"So we need to confirm what Weiss knows about the Storm Bat, and what Qrow knows about Neopolitan's movements..." Cinder nodded. Something wasn't adding up.

"Just after that incident, Atlas used the dwindling borders and the fact we've lost a lot of the city to Grim as an excuse to seize the city... And they came for us. So we ran."

The story wasn't really that pretty from there...

"We lived in the dirt and the grime, listening to the gunshots while they murdered innocents who fought back or were too educated, or whatever it was they wanted... They put their little regime in place, and they began their control. Up there right now, people are being hassled and living in fear... Maybe sixty percent of the population left? I don't know the numbers... I just know it's far less than it was."

Ruby nodded and looked at her feet with somber eyes.

"We found Cinnamon..."

Cinder rubbed her chin. Cinnamon was a curiosity that she hadn't had time to address.

"I had thought she'd died in the aftermath of the invasion, I found her toy next to an eviscerated corpse, it was a child, unrecognizable anyway. Perhaps she'd just dropped it due to proximity of an attack? Ran away, hid..."

She felt bad that they'd be leaving the girl to the care of the rebels for now, but honestly, they had no time to deal with her. It was unsafe, too... At least there was a small force protecting her this way.

"She can't speak, I don't know if that's because of trauma, or injury... She could talk before, though. But she hasn't said a word, even if she does laugh and the like. Maybe she'll open up again but after what she's probably been through..."

The level of worry that was slowly escalating in Cinder's tone saw Ruby's face becoming knowing and sly at the same time, until she was giving Cinder a look she couldn't ignore.

"What?"

"You really care about that little girl, don't you?" she asked, and the blush this time was blatantly obvious. Cinder was embarrassed.

"She's just venerable, that's all. I'm trying to be good here," she said, and Ruby nodded slowly, still grinning devilishly at her.

"Uh-huh, sure." She didn't believe it one bit. But Cinder's mood slipped a little with the nonchalance that had entered the room, and her brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Who cares, point is, a Grim could still eat her tomorrow. She could be shot. We can talk about Cinnamon when everyone is safe." Touched a nerve, Ruby guessed.

"Okay, okay... So we found Cinnamon, then the boat bomb happened... Ren and Velvet maintain that Penny is now out to kill you... and yet Neopolitan has appeared to give you your mother's locket, which seems to be having an emotional effect."

"She's toying with me, I'll bet," Cinder said, and Ruby frowned.

"I don't think that's all of it," she said, and ran her thumb against her palm, looking at it.

"What do you mean?" Cinder asked, and Ruby tapped her chin.

"Well, let me ask you something... When you incinerated Pyrrha," she stated, making sure to show her disgust for that fact in her voice, "why did you keep her tiara? Drop it like that? Why not burn that, too?"

Cinder's eyebrow rose. What was she getting at?

"I did that to scare you. You had to know she really was gone, so I dropped it, thought the sound might ring home."

"So?" Ruby said, rolling a hand through the air, but Cinder wasn't following.

"Ugh, come on... Neopolitan is doing the same thing! She's going for a specific feeling, trying to provoke it in you!" Cinder blinked, but thought about that statement, then sighed. She was right.

"She wants me to be... Upset?" she thought, and Ruby sighed herself.

"I don't know, I guess? It has some significance, I'm sure..."

"But, Ruby... If that's true, then why hasn't she taken you from me, or something of the sort? She knows you don't have your scythe, haven't for awhile. Intentional, maybe?"

Ruby shook her head again. There was something missing... They were both pawns in a serious game, one that had devastating potential, and neither of them wanted to wait around to see what Neo's next move would be.

"We're going to have a hell of a time in front of us dealing with... Jaune, Winter, Ironwood, that weird Honeydew lady, Yoru, Neopolitan, her giant beefcake boyfriend, and now Penny, too..." As Ruby's brow furrowed, Cinder frowned. While her distaste for the android was obvious, her distaste for seeing Ruby upset outweighed it. She supposed somehow it was a bad thing that she might have to trash that pile of scrap for a second time.

"Two friends, turned against us, one friend, dead as the nails in a coffin..." When Ruby said that, Cinder shook her head quickly.

"Stop. For Remnant's sake, please no water works..." If there was going to be more emotional trauma today, then there would also have to be blood, and while the thought of draining some of Ruby's seemed tempting, there wouldn't be time for that.

"We've got to leave soon, Ruby, and thinking like that is dangerous," Cinder reminded her, "and we need find Weiss. No time to say goodbye to the others." Cinder finally stood, and rolled her shoulders, turning toward the door.

"It's time we get your real partner back."

Ruby didn't fight it, instead followed her from the warehouse and out onto the docks. They'd been in there for quite awhile, and now the sun had traversed enough of the sky that she wondered where Weiss might be this time of day.

"So where do we start?" Ruby asked as they both headed toward the western buildings, and Cinder took a look up the tall cliff beside them. The top of it by now would be swarming with infantry... But lucky for them they knew that Weiss most certainly wasn't in the city.

"We start in the hills, to the west," Cinder noted, and Ruby frowned intensely. They both knew that west of Vale held plenty of Grimm, they lurked the mountains and occasionally made their way out into the lower hills during nightfall.

"Why the hills?" she wondered, but Cinder seemed knowing.

"Because that's where those two people your friends saw went. I have a hunch they might know where Weiss has gone, too."

"Then we'll have to be fast about it. I'm assuming you can get us up the cliff?" Ruby chanced a look back toward the rebel camp, the White Fang were busy organizing their equipment. They would have to fight soon, surely.

"Yes, but you aren't going to like it," Cinder replied, and Ruby's brow arched at her questioningly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and the Maiden smirked at her.

"It's really slow."

"Are you calling me impatient?" Ruby questioned, and Cinder shrugged, walking around her. She reached a hand back, which Ruby took, and led her closer to the cliff.

"Grab on," she said, and Ruby did as asked, curling her arms tightly around Cinder's waist. She hugged herself up to Cinder's chest, and the Maiden began to focus her aura. Levitation, while fairly easy for her, still had its limits. As they slowly began to rise, eventually their feet left the ground, and Ruby clung tighter in exasperation as she almost immediately slipped off without Cinder's own support.

"Don't let go or look down," Cinder added, and Ruby squeezed harder, nodding slowly.

It would've been far nicer to have been able to take the stairs, she thought, and chanced a glance over at the long, twisting steps that led up to the military blockade at the top. Even if just to get closer to the top before they flew up... She could see, however, that the stairs had been destroyed in places, almost as if hand grenades had been dropped from above. Perhaps they assumed the White Fang were stupid enough to try something so suicidal as walking up a narrow staircase one by one into fully automatic rifles?

It didn't help that the escapade the day before had increased security, though... as they began to near the top, they also began to take fire. From somewhere on their right, a few bullets whizzed passed, and one clipped Ruby square along the shoulder almost immediately, gouging a nice cut into her clothes and her arm. She yelped, and swung slightly, dragging Cinder with her, making them spin about so their backs were to the cliff. She floated them closer to it to avoid the gunfire, gritting her teeth with the exertion carrying an extra person this high was having on her. She strained through it, though, and before long they had made it to the top of the cliff.

Reaching the top was not as much of a victory as they had wanted it to be. Dropping them over the edge of it, Cinder helped Ruby to her feet and they bolted for it. The defenses had been mostly clustered toward the middle of the cliff, and they slipped by on the outer left of the wall, taking fire from just beyond it where the guard on the tower was stationed. Somewhere, an alarm bell sounded, and Cinder cursed heavily. Really, all this just for two blockade runners? But, since they weren't heading into the city, it wasn't hard to keep their heads down and keep moving. The confusion about their whereabouts once they'd cleared the immediate defenses seemed to be working in their favor, and they halted for a moment behind one of the supports of the wall to weigh their options. They could hear the commotion coming from just beyond the heavy metals.

"Keep moving," Cinder ordered after just a few seconds of pause, and they followed the wall until it led to a break in the forests on their left.

An old worn path led from here deep into the trees, so they took to it on foot, their need to clear the area before the soldiers figured out their movements becoming swiftly more evident. When they'd made it far enough into the trees to stop and rest, Cinder took a look at Ruby's wound.

"It'll heal," she told her lover as she cupped a hand over it. Ruby knew what she was going to do, and reached for Cinder's other hand. When she put it in her mouth, Cinder didn't fight it, and as she poured intense heat into Ruby's wound, she bit down hard enough to draw blood. Cauterizing the glancing blow to keep away infection and blood loss, Cinder let her lover take out her pain, and when it was done, she nursed her bite against her shirt. The two continued deeper into the hills, where the forest stopped, searching only on what little they knew of Weiss' escape, and Cinder's hunch.

"Wait here, make sure we weren't followed. I'm going to scout ahead a little, make sure we'll be clear of the Grimm..." Ruby nodded to her lover and turned her eyes back down the path, scanning for any signs of life, listening, from where she sat on a rock.

Cinder continued down the worn, old path as it wound between two of the stony hills. She hoped that she wasn't dragging Ruby on a pointless chase for information, that Weiss actually knew something they didn't about that day when she'd come to help them fight off the massive Grimm.

A familiar feeling crept along Cinder's spine suddenly, and she paused, listening. Gunfire, close but forward, not back in Ruby's direction... Creeping along the craggy hills, Cinder mounted the next peak over, and poked her eye over one of the rocks to get a look. She spotted a couple of Grimm, and the owner of the gun that had made the noise, a blue-haired individual about as tall as Jaune might've been...

She couldn't put a finger on where she'd seen this guy before. The assault rifle, the stance, everything about him screamed recognization, and yet his name was on the tip of her tongue, and her mind. Cinder leaned forward, concentrating, wracking her memory...

The sound of stone on stone alerted her that it was already too late to turn around, in her concentration she had failed to hear somebody approach sooner. But, wheeling about anyway, she found herself face to face with the barrel of a shotgun. She gulped audibly as it was pressed under her chin, forcing her to stand and back-peddle as the faunas who owned it controlled her to her feet.

"Hey Neptune, I caught us a snooper!"

Damnit, that was it... What a way to have her memory jogged. These two had been at that silly tournament she'd seen most of the Vale Huntsmen at. And this one...

She couldn't hide the smirk that slowly drifted over her, and her eye settled back on Sun's face. Cinder adopted her usual cold demeanor, looking down over the bridge of her nose at the man.

"Isn't she that one lady what tried to blow up Vale in the first place?" Sun questioned, and the flattened look in response from Cinder spoke of her knowledge of a certain someone doing the same. Blake Belladona, now that was a name she could throw around for ammunition. She weighed her options. Ruby was too far out of earshot for her horrible voice to call for, and she never prayed for a miracle... She couldn't trust Ruby's ability to pay attention to subtle detail, or a gut feeling.

"I'm not your enemy, faunas," Cinder croaked, eying him warily while he looked her over.

"Who's to say that? Seems to me like you being here is oddly coincidental considering who's running the show in Vale now..." Neptune clenched and unclenched the grip of his rifle. Was that nervousness she detected...? Her eye trailed over her shoulder to judge his distance. Sun reminded her of his hold over her by turning her chin back toward himself with the end of his gun.

"Are you alone?" Sun asked, but Cinder didn't answer him. With a grimace, he ran his gaze along her form again, probably scrutinizing her dress for any sign of a weapon.

This one was clever. Far, far more so than she'd expected.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop pointing that thing at my face," Cinder mentioned, pointing upward to the gun that was quite literally touching her chin. How rude, really. She let her aura slowly build, which had both the effect of readying her powers should she need them and also amplifying how nervous Neptune was at this sudden stand-off.

"Sun maybe she's telling the truth? I don't wanna see anyone die, man..."

"Well, lady, what's it going to be? Talk or take the bullet?"

The two of them stood, staring one another down, their eyes slowly curling into intensity. By now, her heat was causing Sun's hand to burn slightly, but he clenched his weapon tighter... Cinder could only thank her maker when Ruby's voice finally broke that silence.

"Sun! Leave her alone!" Ruby shouted, one hand on a boulder as she hopped over the smaller rocks beside it. She stumbled for footing, then jogged up to them.

Sun's eye visibly twitched, and Neptune was already in agreement, they could tell by the squeamish look on his face.

"How do I know we can trust her?" Sun asked, and for once she was sure she could see the veins in Ruby's neck about to burst in her frustration.

"I don't have time for this..." She placed her hands in fists at her sides, and stomped over, shoving Sun out of the way so she could grab Cinder roughly by the collar.

She kissed her lover, uncaring of the faces the two males made over it. She was sick of this distrust, she didn't need to prove anything to these two buffoons. Either they helped, or they didn't.

Releasing Cinder, Ruby gestured in emphasis at the situation.

"Good enough for you?"

There wasn't much Sun could say now, but Ruby's guilt did hit her when she remembered the news that would certainly break his heart. Maybe she'd need to go a bit easier on him?

"We're here for a reason, Sun. We're looking for Weiss. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

Sun looked between the two females, and then to his partner, before he relaxed, and wiped a thumb under his nose.

"Of course. She's the one who called us here!"

Ruby grinned. Of course indeed. It made sense, since Weiss had been separated from them by her family, that she'd call outsiders, allies to assist her. She knew the game, and played it well. Neptune would've naturally been the first choice for her, she guessed that her crush was more than a little over the top.

"We need to see her right away. It's important." Both Sun and Neptune nodded at them, and turned to lead the way back to wherever they'd been camping out the last couple of days or so. It was good news that there were more allies in the area to help them, but at the same time, she wasn't sure if Sun would stick around once he knew... They'd have to cross that bridge when they came to it, though, now wouldn't they? She chanced a glance to Cinder, whom she knew simply didn't trust the faunas or his partner. Once they'd got their information, Ruby was sure Cinder would want to leave.

Ruby, however, knew the value of having Weiss around in a fight to retake Vale. Her abilities alone could take down half of the Atlas Army, she was sure of it. If one thing was certain, she knew that Cinder could not mess this one up. It would be her duty to keep the Maiden in check... And considering Weiss' temper, she could only assume that this was a terrible combination.

If only it wasn't completely necessary...

They were taken down the road some, and then the two men they followed strayed from the path. They walked along a crag, the ridge line moving into the mountains. Cinder had expected a bit of a walk, but when they finally arrived at a cave in the side of the mountains, it had taken them a bit over an hour of hiking just to get here.

"Weiss is probably inside. You know, or not, she's a fun one," Sun said, and snickered to himself, while Neptune headed in with a look detesting Sun's jokes. Cinder wasted no time in following him, leaving Ruby alone with the muscled monkey-man. The news burned on her mind... How was she supposed to tell him? His spirits seemed high despite the situation. Like he couldn't possibly imagine the reality here... The fact that Blake had given her life to keep the men of the White Fang, and her own sister... to keep them alive, instead of herself.

When Sun noticed her face of pure sadness, his worry began to seep through his cheerful expression.

"Ruby? Something wrong?" he wondered aloud, and she choked it back, and turned on her heel, not saying a word and instead stalking into the cave, seeking the comfort she gained from being at her lover's side. Maybe she'd just let Cinder tell him...?

The cave wasn't very deep, and at this time of day, the dying light from the soon to be setting sun played through the entrance. It mingled with the flicker of the fire that was in the back of the short cavern, and on the other side of it, the light shed over the back and shoulders of a white-clad girl with equally snowy hair; there was no doubt in their minds they'd found Weiss Schnee.

"Weiss!" Ruby called immediately, bounding by Cinder and clutching her hands together expectantly.

"Ruby?" came the exasperated response, and Weiss turned around, a look of surprise written over her tired face. Somehow, Cinder noted, she'd managed to keep her hair perfect, and her clothes lacked the stains one might expect to see on a white garb after days in the wilderness like this. Had she been using these two to do everything for herself? When Weiss stood, her question was answered, the tattered edges of her skirt told enough of the tale for her. How she'd managed to keep herself so clean, then, she wasn't sure.

"Ruby, I'm so glad you're okay! I thought for sure that Atlas would capture the lot of you..."

Ruby grinned defiantly, moving to stand on her toes as she pointed a finger into the air.

"Aw, what, us? Just a minor set back for the Huntsmen of Vale!" It was a convincing statement, but the moment Weiss' face showed how she was truly feeling at the moment, Ruby's fell too, and she slipped back into the reality of the situation, taking a seat in the dust across the fire from her friend.

"Neptune said he saw Ren. Nora, Velvet, too. They're okay, then?" she questioned, and Ruby nodded slowly.

"And what about Jaune...? I see he didn't get to Cinder..." Weiss disguised her distaste for the Maiden cleverly, but it didn't go unnoticed, something in the subtlety she underlined the last syllable with just didn't sit right on her ears...

"Jaune's..." Ruby paused for a moment to take a breath, and then practically spat her words out.

"Jaune's working with Atlas."

Weiss gasped softly, the kind of noise that reminded Cinder of a yawning kitten. Did a powerful warrior really need to appear so venerable? Her eye settled into a calculating stare as she observed the two.

"No... I'd hoped he wouldn't put his personal opinions over Vale..." There it was again, Cinder thought, that little hint in reference to her... Weiss wasn't doing this without reason; Cinder was sure Weiss blamed her for much of what had happened. But, from where she was sitting, Weiss and her father's company certainly had a better reason to be scrutinized.

Besides, Cinder hated it when people talked as though she weren't in the room.

"And what about your sister, and Blake?" Weiss asked, and the lump that formed in Ruby's throat was immediately obvious to them all. Cinder fought against the tinge of worry that seemed to haunt her any time she saw that adorable thing falling apart. Delicate flower, she thought, tragic... But when Ruby stalled, it created a wave of discomfort in their audience, and Cinder found herself opening her mouth as though she needed to fill in the silence. Should she say something?

She wasn't sure until Ruby's head turned toward her. The look she finally got from the girl shot an ache through her heart, those eyes begged her to take her place, threatening tears. Cinder once more was put into her apathetic yet sympathetic place... She had no feelings for that girl, they had been in agreement to leave each other at arm's length, and yet... By association, her death was painful. What a sick world this was.

"Blake..." Cinder started, breathing softly, leaning forward where she'd sat next to Ruby. She held her arm out for the Huntress, who clung to it and hid her face.

"Well, you see, Blake is..." The clenching on her arm warned her on her phrasing. But when she paused, looking around at those eyes on her, those faces waiting on her word, she very nearly grinned. It was always so very nice being the center of attention... The edge of her eyebrow perked up ever so slightly, and her eye darted sideways, watching Sun's reaction closely. Point a gun in her face, would he...?

"Blake has joined the ranks of the dead," she finally said, laying the news out as a historian states a fact; the statement sank in, and like a symphony slowly coming to life, building an orchestra, their faces contorted as they took in the information.

Sun's reaction had the giddy girl within her dancing on her toes, Cinder had to seriously fight a smile as she watched his lumpy brain try to wrap around the truth of reality. She could see the monkey's phases as his thoughts shifted with implications. At first, he didn't believe her, clearly. He reeled back, away from the table, his face spelling out annoyance. There was no realization yet... But he stopped from where he'd turned around, and crossed his arms, looking at the table.

Oh, this would be so very enjoyable...

"R-Ruby... Is that true?" Weiss asked, and the girl, now in tears, removed her face from Cinder's shirt long enough to give a quivering look and a nod to her friend. Ruby then sobbed, once, but it was enough to really get the point across to the faunas, who finally placed a thick hand over his own mouth, tugging at his face.

Neptune simply didn't know how to react, and it was just as wonderful for her. His eyes were wide, but more out of confusion than anything, and they never settled in one place for long. Just kept darting about the room, looking for some answer to what to do, maybe something to say... Cinder realized now that she was sitting in a room full of upset people, enjoying the hell out of every minute.

When they were finally all too exasperated to look her way, she smirked. Just a small one, a guilty pleasure. Misery was art. She was quick to hide herself when Ruby sat up straight again.

"That's why we're here, Weiss," Ruby said, sniffing softly. Her hand clutched Cinder's, and she nodded slowly as she spoke.

"We're going to get back at the bastards that caused this whole thing... We're going to try and find Neopolitan, and... we need information so we can..."

"Kill her," Cinder finished for her, the words dropping out with the weight of cannon balls. Ruby didn't like the thought of being forced to kill, but she knew it was more likely that Cinder would be the one doing the deed anyway. Weiss looked at them, processing everything slowly, her eyes a mixture of terror and anger, but also something else... Determination?

"Neopolitan is behind this...? What do you need to know? I haven't even seen the likes of her..."

"Oh, trust me, she's around," Cinder stated matter-of-factly, ignoring Sun completely as he suddenly stomped out of the cave, leaving Weiss and Ruby to stare after him for a moment. Neptune followed him after an awkward hesitation, and the two finally turned back to their conversation.

"That's just it, Weiss," Ruby started, frowning.

"Neopolitan could have been anyone, her abilities let her disguise herself as someone else..."

"But there's a catch," Cinder chimed in, and glanced to Ruby, then back at the Schnee girl.

"Neopolitan can't change her own voice. That's why when Ruby ran into her the first few times, she wouldn't speak at all, so nobody could recognize her voice if she was disguised. So I need you to think, Schnee. Think back to when the two of us were both out cold, after that giant Grimm attacked..." Weiss absorbed what she was saying just as slowly as she had everything else, but eventually, she nodded hesitantly, so Cinder continued.

"If you remember anything out of the ordinary, we need to know... Especially if you can remember somebody who normally would speak to you that simply didn't say a thing. Anything like that?" Weiss frowned heavily as she wracked her brain to try and remember that night.

"I-I think there might have been," she said, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"There was a... a man there, with the clean-up crew... He's an old friend of my father's, but he didn't seem himself at all..."

"Neo," both Ruby and Cinder stated simultaneously, and Cinder crossed her arms, glowering at the table. She had been afraid of this.

"What else, Weiss?"

"Well, the thing is, he's the foreman for one of my father's work crews. The problem is, even though he's the foreman..." They both hung on her word now, and Cinder leaned forward expectantly.

"I never saw him give a single order," she finally said, and Cinder snapped her fingers.

"I knew it!" Cinder shouted, which caused her voice to waver as it hit her max volume. She cleared her throat and coughed a couple times, and Ruby patted her shoulder softly.

"Well, the crew... They collected all that disgusting sludge the Bat turned into, and hauled it off."

Cinder blinked, and placed a hand over her ribs. That's right... Black sludge... This could definitely be worse than she had anticipated, and the anxiety about the facts built in her... Visibly agitated, now, Ruby noticed and began to run a hand over her arm and back again...

"What's her problem?" Weiss questioned, and Cinder grit her teeth.

"My fucking problem, Schnee, is that your shitty crew had a fucking spy in it!" She clenched her jaw, and her fists, and Ruby lifted a hand into the air to stop her there.

"Now, wait a second, Cinder, Weiss couldn't have known..."

"Whatever, she should've, I would've," she said in agitation, and Ruby frowned to her friend.

"Sorry, Weiss... It's just, well... while you were gone, we had a bit of a problem with Neopolitan... well, ehm..." Ruby trailed off, and glanced toward Cinder, who was doing her best to bite her tongue in blaming Weiss for her current situation.

"Neo did... Something, to Cinder, and, well... That black sludge may just be related."

"May be?" Cinder said condescendingly, and looked away in annoyance. The flames of the fire seemed to dance brighter about them, sparked by her ire, and Weiss frowned right back at her.

"This hardly seems like a time to be judging somebody's perspective," she said, her eyes narrowing toward Cinder.

"Considering it was you who caused all of this hellish circumstance personally! Used my family, discarded your own followers for personal gain! Do not talk to me about gross oversight or negligence."

Ruby was at a loss, this conversation was quickly spiraling, and they still needed to know more. Cinder's face was winding up in her rage, and she opened her mouth, lifted a dangerous finger as the room suddenly heated up, the fire shedding sparks toward the roof of the cave...

"Cinder Fall!" she finally chimed, and upon hearing her full name used, the Maiden froze in place, her face surprised. The only time anyone had addressed her that way, it had been her mother... Her hand clenched the locket she now wore about her neck as nostalgia washed over her. It was too hard to stay mad, her emotions too confused...

"That's better," Ruby went on as Cinder slowly retreated from the argument. Weiss crossed her arms and scoffed, but the face Ruby made at her had her ceasing such behavior.

"Now Weiss, listen carefully... We need to know everything you know about where they took any of the left over Grimm ichor, so we can track it down."

"No," Cinder said softly, and Ruby's eyebrow rose.

"No, we don't... They took it to the docks. The warehouse that Blake's bomb hit... I saw the black sludge seeping from a vat there. But there was far more than what that one Grimm had shed..." This didn't make sense yet to her... What had all of the other stuff been for, if whatever Neopolitan had put inside of her was already there?

"I think... I think she's trying to do to Vale what she's already done to me," Cinder said, and Ruby frowned. Weiss gave them both a flat look.

"If you're going to keep me out of the loop, then I can't help you," she said, and Ruby apologized. It took her a few more minutes, but she explained what had happened, the beast that had come out of Cinder, ever-changing and animalistic in every way imaginable... Ruby, again, left out the deaths she'd seen at the hands of Cinder's other form. There was no need to bring it up... She knew Cinder hadn't meant to hurt anyone... Right? She had to believe that.

Weiss, upon hearing the details of the event, agreed with them that Neopolitan had likely been involved. The Schnee Dust Company was infiltrated, of that she had no doubt, and she gave the account of her side of the story; the strange deals her father had been making with Atlas, the odd work detail surrounding the Storm Bat's clean up crew, and her personal account of Winter and Ironwood's strange behavior.

"And then there's that... Honeydew woman. She looks disgusting in that melon-colored scarf she wears, honestly, I don't know how anybody can be caught dead with-"

"Weiss, knock it off," Ruby interrupted, and the Schnee heiress bit back her words.

"What do you really know about her?" the girl asked, and Weiss frowned.

"Only that her speeches make me sick to my stomach. You should really see it, Ruby, it's... intense to watch. She has the crowds eating out of her hands, and yet the things she says... They're terrifying, when you dissect them. She has a lot of power. Do not underestimate us political types." Cinder knew that one from first-hand experience, however there was something off about this whole thing... She made a mental note to catch one of those speeches in the future, as much as she was sure she'd hate it.

"There's one more thing, Weiss," Ruby mentioned when she noticed Cinder's agitation over the whole situation was rising once more. She'd have to separate these two before one said something they'd all end up regretting.

"What's that?" the white-clad woman questioned, and Ruby glanced from her lover and back to the other Huntress.

"I need to know we can count on your sword when the time comes to take the fight to Atlas," Ruby stated, and Weiss seemed to hesitate. She was looking at Cinder, and Ruby took note of her consideration... Did people really dislike her this much? And to think that Blake had been warming up to her faster than anyone...

"Fine. I can't speak for Neptune and Sun, whom I'll have to find in just a minute, as you can surely tell... But I'll be there. Just give me a sign. One that I'll know when I see it. You two should go. If you came from the direction of the city, you'll need to get out of here before nightfall. They check these hills often, we disguise the cave at night." Ruby sighed softly, but nodded. She'd prefer to be around Weiss, to maybe help with her feelings over Blake's death, but... Well, her choice of a mate interfered with plenty. So they left after Ruby had her hug and said her goodbye, and the Huntress and her Maiden headed back into the forests.

The night would be here soon, and they would need to find a place to hide until morning.

As they walked, the two of them both double-checked all of their information in their heads. They still had so many questions, but at least Weiss had confirmed Neopolitan's whereabouts that day... When they finally found a group of trees that could shelter them from wind, they set up a makeshift bed for the night. They would have to resume the investigation tomorrow... And they still needed to find Qrow. He had to know more, or if they could, any of the other Beacon staff members could help as well. They would have to find out more...

When Ruby finally fell asleep, Cinder wasn't quite sure if it was her adorably loud snoring, or pure agitation that kept her awake... But regardless of the cause, her mind could only mull over one topic; her mother was prominent in her thoughts, and her memories played like films on the back of her eyelids until she finally gave way to the cold nothingness of her dreamless rest.

 **[Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm not dead! Finally managed to finish this chapter which I worked on over a longer period of time (normally I write a chapter in one sitting but not this time). I swear I must've had to edit this thing like three times and I'm sure I still messed up grammar somewhere lol anyway**

 **So reason I haven't been putting this story out as fast as I used to is because I've mostly been working on two completely original stories of my own! (yay!) They're both for webcomics, and currently both are a fair way through the world-building/character creation stages, although both stories have a great deal of plot already plotted, so that's cool. Still a long long way off until I'll be able to share those with anyone, though, as both of them will be webcomics and must be drawn, like, with art! Whee. I've also been learning digital art, because one of these two comics will be created entirely by myself as a solo project! Heyo. But that'll probably take way longer cuz I'm really not that great at it (but I'm learning fast)**

 **Anyway, this chapter I hope didn't feel too much like a recap. I really wanted it to involve more of Ruby/Cinder's thoughts toward each other and some other subtle junk, so I hope it seemed substantial in that regard. While I did try to maybe recap a little bit since it's been awhile, the point of them kind of retelling the summary of the plot is just so they can work out the holes in their own understanding and such. Still, there's not much of a way to make it very graceful. Either way, I hope this maybe clarified something somewhere for somebody who didn't understand SOMETHING or another, that would be good. I'll try to put out the next chapter faster than this one took me, but my life is unpredictable lately so we'll see.**

 **Someone's going to get their ass beat up pretty hard soon... I can't tell if that'll fall into this next chapter or maybe the one after it. Either way, we should see more of Ren/Nora/Yang soon, some Penny... and for the fans who's guilty pleasure is this whole Ruby/Cinder bullshit in the first place (MINE TOO) I'll make sure to plan a heavy romance scene before the action-packed conclusion comes around. And for the Neo fans, you'll get to see a lot more of her too. :D**

 **Thanks for reading I hope you liked it!]**


	24. Chapter 24: Second Sight

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 24: Second Sight**

The morning had brought with it the surprise sting of the winter's tail end, with all the frost and dew too, scattering it helplessly over every surface under the dark green needles of the canopy of evergreen above them. Ruby contemplated the lack of sunlight piercing through, everything seemed tinted ever so slightly blue; it was definitely day, however, and her silver gaze drew close to being mirrored by the haze of the fog that lingered about near ground level. Her hair was damp, it clung to her forehead as she sat up and removed the arm of her Maiden from about her shoulders. Cinder's face held that look again...

That 'cranky one,' she always called it, because it was what happened when Cinder didn't get much sleep. While she was dozing lightly now, Ruby could only imagine it had come recently... The poor thing. It was a wonder how Cinder had survived all these years with the issues she seemed to face. When this was all over, the Huntress thought, she wanted to really get to know her better. To know more about her past, specifically was her goal, for it seemed to hold all the keys to the labyrinth of her lover's mind.

And then, just as the fog had reflected her eyes, her thoughts mirrored themselves, and she pondered how either of them might have survived without one another. A breeze rolled through the gaps in the trees, and she shivered with it, a reminder that it was Cinder's abnormal body heat which had kept her warm through the night. The flattened bush they'd slept on would not have served one single bit without such a heat source.

Ruby reached down and placed her palm against Cinder's forehead. It felt just like when Yang had a fever... Only, it never went away. Not once had she ever seen Cinder complain or seem uncomfortable in the cold, then again, she hadn't ever really seen Cinder complain overtly anyway...

Her gaze and her thoughts drifted once more to her surroundings, and she stood. The fog beyond the trees had grown thick enough that she couldn't any longer tell which direction was which. It was impossible to tell where they'd come from last night... The brief panic that washed over her died quickly enough when she assured herself that Cinder probably knew the way, and a smile graced her face as her thoughts came back to the usefulness of having the Fall Maiden with her.

Ruby was dismayed slightly by the fact she'd have to wake Cinder up if she wanted to do anything, but by now she was used to this fact and the light sleeper that was still curling against her to cling for comfort was equally used to dealing with it. Ruby decided it was best to be gentle about it, though. For a fleeting moment, as her hand moved to Cinder's cheek, her heart experienced the usual skip it did at the new day's experiences with the one she loved.

She cupped Cinder's cheek and rocked her head slightly back and forth to stir her.

"Ciiinder," she crooned softly, like a mother might in waking her child.

"Mnh."

No surprise crossed Ruby's mind at Cinder's reaction when she jerked away and rolled over, pulling an arm and most of Ruby's center of balance with her.

"Urgh..." Ruby groaned and pulled herself back upright, a chore in it's own right when Cinder decided to hang on and lend dead weight to the action.

The crack that broke in her eyelid was all Ruby needed to call her on her bullshit.

"You're awake! Let go!" She shook her arm with all her might, forcing Cinder off due to a quick slip of her slender form. Despite being dislodged, Cinder once more rolled away and gave her the cold shoulder.

"Cinder, wake up," Ruby tried again, this time purring into her ear. Easy for her to command, she'd had her full night's rest. The addled Maiden knew that there wasn't going to be any use for resistance to Ruby, though, nor did they have much time to stay here anyway...

"Cinder, there's fog and I can't tell which way's which," Ruby whined, and shook her again, but it had already gotten Cinder's attention, and her eye snapped open. She sat up, grasping Ruby by both shoulders, looking around them, shifting her out of the way when required.

"...Hm."

Cinder's short response created curiosity in Ruby, as easy as that was, and she leaned in.

"Sooo...?" she asked in anticipation. Cinder gave her a look that she had never really seen before. Perhaps it was because of how tired she looked, but Cinder looked completely defeated by the question, but it had an almost humorous tone in the expression.

"We're lost," Cinder stated bluntly, and stood, looking around. The fog was too thick to discern much passed the grove of trees. That meant that moving around in it wasn't going to help much either, their surroundings would still be obscured. Defeat was the best course of action, admitting it would allow them to start from a solid foundation and maybe identify something familiar.

"Lost?!" Ruby suddenly exclaimed, loud enough to stir a group of birds from their perches nearby. As they fluttered away, the girl stared at Cinder, and the sleepy woman shrugged.

"What makes you think I can see through fog?" she asked, shooting Ruby a look of mock condescension. The girl faltered in her response, it seemed she'd perhaps been too confident in her lover's abilities. The creeping panic returned to her... She hated being lost. Her breathing came faster, and Cinder caught notice, grasping her wrist and pulling her a few steps in.

"Ruby, calm down," she said in a soothing tone. Ruby obeyed immediately, as though Cinder's command were law. Her body reacted and calmed just at the sound of that voice, and she sighed.

"We're not exactly far from Vale, finding our way back shouldn't be too hard," Cinder said, and her expression as her eye turned back to Ruby became more sleek, a smirk gracing her features, her eye narrowing.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you're scared," Cinder offered, trailing a finger up to the underside of Ruby's chin. The blush she brought out was unmistakable as Ruby's eyes cast downward... But as her guard dropped, the sound of a heavy branch snapping loudly nearby caused Ruby's spine to grow rigid and she straightened up, jolting in sudden fear. The way her fingers curled, the way her lips parted ever so slightly... Yes, Ruby's fear was a joy to watch.

Regardless, however, her eye searched the surrounding dim grey, pivoting on her heel as she needed to look behind herself. The direction of the noise was uncertain, but her reaction was quick when the sound of a second snap echoed through the trees quickly, accompanied by the rustling of movement. Cinder faced their unknown unwelcome guest, though she saw nothing. She took a step closer to Ruby and held out her hand to keep the girl behind her. The eerie silence that followed hand her gritting her teeth... then something made her ears awaken, tingling her skull as her senses adjusted to listen harder. The normal sounds of the forest were gone. No insects, birds... Just silence. Somebody was near.

"Move. Slowly," Cinder commanded, and the two of them began to walk backward in the direction opposite the intruder. Cinder's ear adjusted again when she heard that quiet sound once more. It was hard to place where she'd heard it before, but it was a sort of whirring, followed only by a sharp click, almost metallic...

A bush off in the direction they were facing suddenly burst to life with movement, the leaves shaking violently as Cinder tried to follow what moved about in the trees. She saw nothing, tracking only with her ears, a thump off to their left catching her attention, along with the brief flash of color she caught moving between the trees. It was... Red, but orange?

"Oh, shit," Cinder swore suddenly, and gripped Ruby's hand harshly. Her mind reeled with the possibilities of the enemy at their doorstep, but only one came to mind with that odd shade of color...

"RUN!" she shouted, and bolted for it, yanking Ruby into tow behind her. Together they crashed through the undergrowth of the grove, not making it very far at all before one of the trees in front of them exploded in a brilliant flash of white light. It was hard to tell what had happened, or whether or not the fog about them contained smoke from the blast. The two, however, were sent stumbling from the concussive force, Cinder catching herself on the trunk of the nearest tree, pulling Ruby to her feet and steadying her with the other arm.

"Wha-what was that?!" Ruby cried, and Cinder's angry snarl didn't answer her question much. The Maiden looked through the trees behind them, her face becoming cold with hatred.

Click, whirrrrr... Crunching leaves, footsteps, and finally the assailant revealed herself. Slender legs, one over another stepped along between the trees and among the fog, her hazy figure barely visible in the distance from where Ruby was standing, but... The outline was familiar.

"I've finally caught up to you," came the voice, and all at once a shiver coursed up Ruby's spine, the realization of the moment surreal for her as she watched her friend step close enough to be seen, stopping between two gnarled, leafless trees, glaring at them with a callous expression. She'd never seen Penny look so menacing, and her hand squeezed her lover's tightly. Cinder knew what this must be like for her, the normally cheerful and pleasant false girl was dangerous even with such a calm demeanor, but the ire that had been programmed into that artificial face had even Cinder on edge.

The next step Penny took forward, there was a metallic noise, and the sound of a drawing wire, and in an instant a blade had snapped into her hand, she dragged the surface of it along the bark nearby; as the ring of her sword pierced the otherwise silent forest, Ruby's heart raced. Penny... What had they done to her? The moment that blade rose and the flurry of fallen leaves that followed, she shoved Cinder roughly to the side, then shifted her weight onto her heels. Sure enough, the android passed right between the two of them, and Cinder stumbled onto her knees, righting herself quickly and leaping back to her feet. Neither of them had weapons, a direct fight with a battle-ready robot wasn't exactly looking tasteful to the Maiden... Especially not an Atlas one. Penny slid on her feet as she blew by, turning about and drawing a second sword with the snap of her mechanism.

"Penny, stop! It's me, Ruby!" the Huntress shouted, and Cinder made an audible noise of annoyance.

"P.E.N.N.Y. framework Seven-point-oh-four assessment complete. Target located: Cinder Fall. Request immediate support, bearing Five-Six degree drop Three-Seven degree. Fire for effect."

The words were said quickly, efficiently, and with ruthless demeanor. Whoever was the master behind programming such emotion into this mechanical doll, Cinder thought, well they were certainly the most effective member of the Atlas propaganda department... Her heart raced at the look the automaton was giving them, and Cinder knew exactly what was coming their way.

"Run, damn it, Ruby, RUN!"

They only had a few moments, and in the eleven seconds that followed Cinder managed to shove Ruby into action. They each pounded ground as hard as they could off into the forest, Ruby following Cinder. She'd had time to glance back once, and she could see Penny walking slowly toward them, almost as if she enjoyed their running... The wicked smile coating her features burned into her mind right before she was sent careening through the air by a close explosion. Cinder, dazed and with her ears ringing, watched Ruby as she buckled against the ground and rolled a couple times. The moment a second shell hit, missing completely off into the trees, she shook herself to and ripped Ruby from the ground and onto her feet just a few feet further. She was looking for low ground, anywhere they could hide from the incoming barrage of shells.

As luck would have it, two more thunderous booms rattled the ground right before them, cracking a tall evergreen and sending it plummeting sidelong over the impact crater. It was really as good as anywhere. They headed for the shell hole, and the moment they closed in, Cinder shoved Ruby roughly underneath the fallen tree before she leapt in behind her. They rolled into a clump together as the thump of more fire in the distance could be heard, the whistling of the ordinance, the shattering of branches and trunks alike. Ruby had taken to a ball, and both of them pressed their hands over their ears, the only salvation they had from the noise of the blasts. They were spared nothing, and before even the last shell finished falling, Penny had found them, hacking at the branches with vigor, tearing through until she could drop a blade and grab for Ruby's leg. As she latched on, she pulled hard, and Ruby slid further from Cinder, who tugged back in return. Ruby made a noise of pain, and Penny yanked her in, dragging them both, until she could see Ruby's face.

Ruby watched her friend as her red eyes glowered, and one of them gave way, the image she'd thought of as a realistic iris and pupil displaying now a red-on-red targeting reticle, flashing with inhuman light.

"Target identification: Ruby Rose, class A criminal Huntress. Secondary target acquired. Objective: Termination with extreme prejudice. All hail Honeydew!"

Her freakishly ecstatic spoken words defied the situation as the look of horror spread over Ruby's features. She began to kick at her friend with all her might, twisting that mechanical neck sideways with a forceful blow to the jaw. She was able to loosen Penny's grip enough to slip free with a jerk from Cinder, and the two of them scrambled away from the machine, and up the opposite side of their hole. Emerging in the middle of the blown-to-pieces forest, they both looked about in the foggy and ashen place. If it had been hard to tell where they were before, it was even harder now that the trees were missing in some places where they had been to guide them before.

They had to keep moving, so they did.

Behind them there was a cackle of grating mechanical laughter, the psychological warfare this thing waged was starting to get to Cinder. As if it wasn't bad enough to have an army after them, they had a sociopathic robotic doll chasing them, too. Penny wasted no time in coming after them, either, and at full speed it was clear there wasn't going to be any outrunning her. Her grip broke through bark on the trees she used to pull herself forward, each heavy footstep leaving a clear mark in the soft soil. She seemed to be embracing her machine composition, and each time her joints moved quickly they spun with their gears and switches, adding to the sounds of certain doom behind them.

The piercing shriek of the strange fog horn of an airship sounded from somewhere out of sight, and the two together headed toward it as Cinder guided them. They both knew that it had to be the large Atlas ship they'd seen before, so why Cinder was moving closer to it she wasn't sure, however grateful she was to flee. The machine on their rear gained on them, and Ruby could hear her muttering more adjustments for fire support to herself as she gave chase.

"Ruby, hurry!" Cinder shouted, and the Huntress took it upon herself to give them the boost they needed. Clutching Cinder's hand, she activated her Semblance, and together they fluttered into the wind, shooting forward with the speed of her ability. Erupting further away in a flurry of rose petals, Cinder slowed their retreat and turned to face their foe. Her eye burned as she readied herself, her fists coating in flames as they heated to extraordinary temperatures. She hoped her plan would work, because it was dangerous, but as Penny spotted them through the fog, her words came through the still air clear enough to set Cinder on edge again.

"Fire for effect!" The robot seemed to be growing agitated, unable to swat the speedy flies that the two of them had become.

The dull thump of cannons somewhere away and above sounded, and the whistle of shells was brief before explosions rocked the area once more. Cinder, rather than running away, figured the machine would've tried to cut them off as they ran, and instead moved toward the thing, ready for a brawl. Ruby followed closer, and sure enough the shells were falling short, Penny was programmed not to hit herself with her own artillery fire after all.

But Cinder wasn't worried about the cannons... Even the stray shot that landed near them and rocked her off of her feet momentarily, instead she picked herself back up and met Penny head on as they closed in together. This thing was fast, she knew, but the speed of that first attack surprised her even still, and Cinder shifted suddenly to her back foot to out-range Penny's blade with a long lean. Too slow... The very tip of the metal caught some of her hair, and just barely the tip of her nose, creating the smallest of stings, not even deep enough to bleed... But too close, none the less. Cinder kept one ear to the pattern of the explosions as they sent the air about them reverberating. Her fists rose in a fighting stance as she moved in after Penny's attack for a left jab to the face, catching Penny with a far stronger blow than she'd probably thought Cinder could deliver to her metal frame. She went to take the punch just as she had Ruby's kick to the face, it shook her endoskeleton and scrambled her equilibrium for a moment with the force, just long enough that with a quick kick, she threw its foot out from under itself, and the P.E.N.N.Y. fell to the ground with a heavy dirt-laden thud and a look of artificial bewilderment on her well-crafted face.

"Ugh!" the Atlas machine whined at her, starting to quickly get to her feet. The loose, damp soil of the forest helped to slow her progress, so Cinder moved back and away again, a tactical retreat. Ruby had taken shelter from the shells, but emerged from her hiding spot when they resumed their running. Penny was completely unphased from Cinder's attack, as she'd assumed, but Cinder's plan was still coming to fruition. There had been a tell-tale gap in the pattern of shots to explosions... Her eye scanned quickly as she ran with Ruby, who was reeling enough in shock and fear that she did as Cinder had hoped and kept her mouth shut, obeying orders.

There!

In the dark dirt, among the ruined forest, Cinder spotted it near the ash of another shell's handiwork... a dud, a huge metal casing housing the explosive payload of the shell that had failed to detonate in the pattern. She let go of Ruby and quickly rushed to it, sliding through the dirt to get close as she dug at it with her bare hands, unearthing the thing as quickly as she could.

"Get back here, you vermin!" Penny was calling after them, her voice drifting through the woods, the acidic nature a complete contrast to her normal behavior. Ruby couldn't even process thoughts of Penny any longer, however, and took cover with Cinder, trying to keep out of sight.

When Cinder had managed to uncover the shell enough she figured she could dislodge it easily, she leaned over it and began to heat it as rapidly as possible with both hands, and her breath. She blew on it, heated the metal until it glowed, and carefully picked it up, maintaining a calm control over her Semblance to keep it from burning her. It was difficult...

"Cinder... Cinder, she's coming!" Ruby was saying to her, her voice dulled in Cinder's ear by the after effect of all the loud bombing. When Penny came close to their cover, Cinder plucked the shell payload from the dirt, and held it up in front of herself, waiting.

"I know where you are," Penny said, her voice too joyful for her words, "come out and submit to the Atlas authority!"

Her advance brought her closer still, and as soon as Cinder heard Penny's weapons shifting, she sprang to her feet. Penny's swords had converged together near her right arm, and she pointed it straight for Cinder, charging a blast. But Cinder, with her superior reflexes, hurled the heated shell right for the automaton, and ducked back again as Penny's surprise caused her to fire, attempting to blow her projectile from the air. It was too quick, though, backed by her inhuman strength as the Fall Maiden, and the shot went wide both of Cinder and the shell. Primed by the heat Cinder had supplied, the dud shell found new life as it impacted Penny's shoulder and detonated, showering sparks and dirt and smoke everywhere. Cinder had thrown herself against Ruby, making sure she was untouched by any of it all, shielding her with her body, despite the fragments from the close blast that tore into her back. Just bits of metal, she'd be fine... After just a few seconds, she peeked over the edge of their cover.

She couldn't see anything... Penny was down? She stood up and walked out, Ruby following as they both looked about for their enemy. They could see something in the dim light of the fog before them, in a heap, it had to be Penny... The grating metal laughter that suddenly issued from her, though, brought pause to Cinder's steps as she swallowed the knot in her throat.

"You... Fall. Cinder..." the voice said, and Cinder stepped closer again. The automaton was certainly damaged, from what she could tell by the voice and the sounds of her servos attempting and failing to engage in various places. Half of her face was damaged or missing, along with her entire shoulder, an arm, and much of her chest and stomach cavities. The wiring hung from it, damaged motion plates or internal lighting twitching or flickering in failed engagement.

"C-C-Cinder F-Feeh..." came Penny's voice, glitched and accompanied by another bout of laughter. Ruby clutched at Cinder's hand as they moved closer together now.

"Destroy Cinder Falll-ll," Penny said, and her frame lurched visibly toward them, then seemed to calm somewhat. Before they could get too close, the machine's voice issue suddenly seemed to clear up.

"P.E.N.N.Y. unit activating fail-safe protocol: Ready. I'm combat ready!"

The cheerful, jubilant words falsified safety in their hearts, along with the small sing-song ringing chime that accompanied the statement; however neither of them could have guessed what this had meant. With a grotesque noise as oil began to interfere with her joints, Penny's form rearranged itself to use her limbs as best it could with what was left of her body. She stood on each leg, but they had reversed at the knee, and her remaining arm had become disjointed, sectioned mechanically as the plates that made up her limb shifted to accompany the change in operation. Black liquid leaked from the half of her head that was missing, and the half-smile that was left kept failing where the machinery responsible for the middle of her lip had been damaged. When two sets of blades drifted above the twisted metal form, rotating slowly and seeping with red energy, Cinder felt then that this might be far more difficult than she'd originally expected.

"Oh... What did they do to you, Penny?" Ruby finally uttered, tears welling in her eyes. She could have just been left alone, left to remain that peaceful, sweet, strange little girl... But twice now, she'd been torn apart by the conflicts of Remnant and its humans.

The gurgle that issued in response to Ruby's words was fueled by the leaking fluids bubbling up from the damaged chest casing ruptured by the explosion, and with that noise, Penny charged them. She fired beams of heated death, tore at the surrounding trees with whirling blades... The hellish nightmare that she'd become didn't have enough time to really settle in to Ruby's mind before they were on their feet again, running. A shriek of rage resounded through the twisted, destroyed landscape as they fled, small fires from the bombardment set upon those trees which had been stripped harshly of their leaves by the winter and the blasts.

As Penny ran, her mangled limbs churned the earth, assuming positions they weren't designed for, at least from the perspective of human anatomy. When she flipped or rotated to an undesirable position, her body would lurch and readjust until she could continue clawing her way toward them, all the while leaking dark fluid underneath her. Luckily, her accuracy seemed impaired, and they were able to duck her fire enough to hide behind a fallen tree as they fled through the bombed forest.

Ruby's head and heart were pounding, by now she was starting to grow nauseous from the constant movement and the aftershock of that many shells. Cinder knew she needed to rest... Silver eyed warrior or not, she was no Maiden. Ruby clung to her clothing as Cinder pulled her head to her chest and hugged her. They were both safe, for now, but that thing... It still pursued them, and Ruby wasn't going to make it much further without some kind of reprieve from it all. It proved to be futile, though, and one elongated metal hand crashed over the top of the log they'd crouched behind, causing them both to jump back. Penny pulled herself over the log and spilled out toward them onto the ground. She lumbered closer on her modified limbs, but neither Cinder nor Ruby were fearful of the machine any longer, their attention snapping to a far more dangerous reality as it unfolded.

"C-Cinder...!" Ruby gasped, pointing, and the Maiden grit her teeth tightly.

"I see it..."

Before them, Penny's internal fluids leaked in copious amounts from her damaged circuitry. It was evident to them both, though, that as it pooled together, it began to act far too strange, familiar...

"Die, Fall, Rose, Burn, Kill, Objective," Penny gargled at them, and stumbled. The fluid oozing from her body coagulated, and from the side of her head it formed a small limb, like an arm with a three-fingered hand, reaching for them. Out of her shoulder, it poured several other body parts, fluid versions of noses and knuckles but also ears, tongues, individual toes; above all, one huge, menacing arm erupted, complete with a clawed set of long, thin fingers. Penny dragged herself up onto her feet and toward them using this, and began to laugh a drunken, cackling, disgusting laugh. The two of them were beside themselves with fear, even Cinder had never seen anything this terrifying. When the blades began to spin about her rapidly, slicing through the trees like a logging machine, they both backed away as quickly as possible. That half-face of Ruby's friend was leaking from everywhere with the black sludge, it seemed to have consumed her, too, just as it had with Cinder.

The Maiden began to fling fireballs at their enemy, but they were having little to no effect aside from causing Penny to flinch. There wasn't much running they could do anymore, and a direct assault was suicide. There were no more shells to rely on, and through the fog they fled only into a trap she was certain... and still the horror crept closer, closer. Ruby watched as Cinder became paralyzed, the fear had finally gripped her so much that she had no idea what to do. She wasn't acting, just staring at the impending doom approaching as it screamed her name, proclaimed their deaths, shrieking the praise of its Master. That was when, right then, she realized the importance of their relationship and the thoughts she'd had this morning... Without each other, there was no way they could survive. Ruby could still act under her fear, the mark of a true leader, and her confusion at Cinder's behavior blossomed like the beacon it needed to be in the darkness... She pulled Cinder out of her state, yanked her to move again, they had to get out of here!

Snapping out of it as though she'd been in a deep meditative state, Cinder shook her head and began to run, their only guide the ground upon which they walked. All about them, the grey spread as they trees gave way to a meadow. Ruby remembered this meadow... They'd passed through it on the way toward the mountains. They were getting closer to Vale!

"Cinder, come on!" she shouted, pulling her lover behind her with force as Penny issued a cry of protest to their escape. She guessed whomever had done that to Penny hadn't counted on slowing her down, but with whatever was inside of her debilitating her like that... They could keep away from it, as long as they could keep track of it, and with it right on their heels, she knew they could keep it away long enough to possibly reach the city...

But Cinder was panting, sweating, even in this bitter cold, and her own heart was racing, her footsteps were growing heavy with exhaustion, she'd never ran more in her life. They were both shaking, but they kept moving, jogging as fast as their bodies would let them. Ruby would be fine, she knew... her determination wouldn't allow her body to fail, and she channeled that feeling, allowing her movements to burn her Aura more than her stamina. She still had her Aura, after all, she'd hardly used it in the last few weeks, and her abilities allowed her great control over her own body. It was Cinder she was worried about.

The Maiden's mind had panicked, the fear had settled in so much that she had thought herself dead. It wouldn't have been the first time that happened, however she tried to focus away from that mortal fear she'd experienced just a moment ago, to focus on the feeling of Ruby pulling her along. Each step was a burden, her Aura was of course far more depleted with her constant use of fire, from lifting them up a cliff, from always being the one to sacrifice for Ruby.

Well, now it was Ruby's turn.

Through the meadow they went, but the deeper they got within it, the more Ruby realized there was no way of knowing where they were going for sure. If they missed the city by a great enough margin, they'd end up on the far side of Vale, where the Grimm roamed...

Still, it seemed a better alternative to whatever Penny had become.

Penny didn't seem to be capable of tracking them any longer with her normal systems, for the monstrous noises had become scattered and frustrated... The rustling of the tall grasses about them, the shrill cry of an angered android, the occasional thump of... something. These became the only noises that Ruby could hear, her ears deafened too much to catch the changes in Cinder's breath as she grew too exhausted to continue. Ruby slowly let the Maiden lean on her more and more, until she'd placed her arm over the Huntress' shoulders and Ruby was half-dragging her along.

Thump... whoosh...

"Graaagh!" Penny wailed, and then another thump.

What was she doing out there?

For a brief second, everything fell quiet, and the silence became to eerie that Ruby stopped, and her breath caught in her throat. She was too terrified to even breathe, had Penny found them? She lowered herself to crouch behind the grasses, peeking over the tops of them around in a circle as best she could.

She didn't hear anything at all. Even the wind wasn't in a breeze right at that moment... When it again rustled the tops of the grains, she felt relief wash over her and exhaled sharply, panting slowly, out of breath from holding it so long.

Thump...! CRASH!

All at once her heart was flung into a frantic race to get her blood where it needed to be, when the blackened beast slammed into the ground before them as if from the sky. Penny had leapt right on top of them, practically, ripping up the plant life before them and kicking up dust from the ground, the meadow's more dry than the forest had been. The tan of it mixed into the grey and partially obscured Penny's form, all she could see was the darkness of that creature facing away from her. The almost motionless machine it was attached to flailed lifelessly with its movement when it turned toward her, the incomprehensible mass of body parts shifting before loomed over her as Cinder collapsed to the ground.

The large, clawed hand reached for her, how was she supposed to stop it? It gripped her, and squeezed her, and lifted her off of her feet. From the air, she could see her defeat chewing on her ankles, Penny, taken by Atlas, turned into this monster, down there again, destroyed... And Cinder, so tired, worn out from always saving her skin, just trying to create a safe place again... One where they could be without judgement...

Her tears sprang forth, her heart laden by the hell it had all become.

"Why do they do this to us...?" she asked, and looked up at the incoherent amorphous monster before her. A dozen small hands were reaching for her, pulling at her, it wanted to tear her to pieces.

"Why can't they just leave us alone?"

Ruby wasn't sure who she was speaking to, now. Was she asking Cinder, Penny? Was she talking to this... thing's Masters? The subject didn't matter to her... All that did was how she felt.

"The Grimm want us to feel bad, right? Atlas wants to hurt us..."

When one of those hands gripped her throat, Ruby's came up to grab the wrist, to hold it back.

"If what you want is anger... Then you can have mine."

She blinked, and her tear fell, landing on the hand below at her throat. It squeezed tighter, the droplet sliding over rather than joining with the fluid of the monster. But another fell, and when its silver light splashed across the surface of the beast's limb, it shrieked in pain and released her neck.

Cinder was exhausted. Her mind swam with an overload of the senses, she saw images of memories on her eyelids, she wanted to sleep... But something called to her, from beyond her dream, and her eye slowly opened to gaze up at what was unfolding.

All above her a bright white light joined the cool grey of the foggy meadow, playing like an aurora through the stalks of the grains blowing in a harsh breeze above her. She lifted her head, and she could see it... A huge, black mass, covered in arms and legs and mouths, among other human parts that played over its surface. It took a roughly human shape, if humans could have several dozen arms at once, or legs erupting from legs... On one side was stuck the doll from before, but above it hovered Ruby, awash in a glow, like she'd only seen once before... Just after she'd killed Pyrrha.

Ruby was doing it. Only this time, it was different. The chaotic spouts of energy she'd seen before were absent, her eyes were glowing just as brightly however she could see a bit of liquid seeping out that held the same colorful effect.

Was Ruby crying...?

The Huntress tore the hand from her neck, ripping it from the body of the monster, which screamed at her in rage. When the limb distanced from the body, it evaporated, leaving nothing. Ruby reached for another of the arms, pulling it harshly from its joint, the sickening crack unheard to the silver eyed warrior as her rage consumed her. She felt hot, white heat inside of her, like the burning of a star, the mid day sun. Her flesh itself, she could feel it pulsing with that energy... She focused on that feeling, on her hand as it did its holy work, and it began to sear the fluid wherever she touched it.

Her fist plunged now into the dark, finding any of it she could, tearing it asunder with her bare hands. She pulled and she pulled, powerless no longer, she needed no weapon other than her will.

"Leave us alone!" she shouted, her face brimming with rage, teeth bared, Cinder had never seen her so angry before. The Maiden's face lit up with amazement and the glow of the light that poured forth from Ruby, the power she summoned from within.

She felt heat, but not on her flesh... It was as if the glow that Ruby shone upon her effected her blood itself. She could feel her aura returning slowly, enough that she could prop herself up and watch with awe.

Ruby's rage boiled as the monster shrieked, torn piece by piece until it was subsiding, and Ruby dissolved into her sadness, pulling the last piece of that thing out of her friend as the mechanical girl lay still in the dirt. Her silver tears poured over the pale flesh of Penny's remaining part of her face as Ruby clutched her to her chest, sobbing.

As the last of the silver fluids ran clear of her false skin, small, clear droplets pushed them away and took their place.

Cinder got to her feet, and carefully stepped closer to her lover until she could take a knee by her side and hold her shoulders.

The silence that followed was filled only by Ruby's crying and the gentle accompaniment of the breeze.

"I'm proud of you," Cinder said softly, and kissed her temple, clutching Ruby close as the three embraced in the cold silence of the morning.

Elsewhere, however, the sounds of cannon fire had stirred up attention despite the foggy bank that covered the marina.

"Everyone get moving, get your equipment, we're moving now!" Ren barked to the men of the White Fang, their planning would have to happen early. Damn that girl, why was she always so overconfident? Ruby had left with Cinder to who knows where, and woken the sleeping beast of the Atlas army. Now with the airship on the move, it would be a man hunt in the fog for all of them, and they had to get out of here. Everyone had been discussing strategy, a way to attack the Atlas headquarters, but their planning had been interrupted by this sudden movement of the enemy.

"Yeah, get goin'!" Nora echoed from his side, and he sighed. She was just trying to help, but she hardly sounded serious. Still, he was happy to have her here, her abilities in combat were second to none, and it was that unique brand of girl that he had fallen in love with after all.

When Yang passed him, though, he had to step out and grab her arm, the look on her face was dangerous.

"Yang... I know you're upset, but try not to do anything rash. We need you. Probably more than anyone else." Nora's jealousy was obvious by her face when he said that, but he was quick to put her in her place with a questioning eyebrow. Of course he didn't mean it like that.

Yang's face, however, faltered from her anger into her sadness. She really was bad at hiding it to someone like Lie.

"It's just... I just want this to all be over," she said, exhaling deeply, placing a hand to her face.

"I know. We all do," he reassured her, and she nodded, and brushed by. But Ren's face held that note of concern, which was only matched by Nora's when he looked back at her.

"Do you think we can do this?" she asked, and it nearly broke his heart. He didn't know the answer to that...

"Yes. Of course we can, we always have."

He wasn't sure what was worse, having to lie to her, or the smile he got in return when he told her what she needed to hear. She hugged his arm, and nuzzled against it, and Ren swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked away. They needed more time to plan. Hopefully, this would at least buy it for them.

Yang looked over the surviving members of Blake's men, the ones whom had made it out of the harbor attack and lived through the random shooting by Atlas troops. They'd come over fifty strong, but now there were only a handful, maybe two dozen men all looking grim and yet ready to fight. With their leader dead, command had fallen to her only by word of her exploits by the seasoned White Fang Huntress.

Her dear friend gone, her men had made it known they had only one goal now. To bring down the ones whom had taken her life.

"We've only had a couple days of planning but our guns are maintained and we're itching for a fight!" Yang shouted, and they all roared their agreement.

"Today we give it back to Atlas two fold! For every one of us, two of them or more! They won't know what hit 'em! I'm giving us a name, and I want you all to wear it proudly. We are Blake's Buccaneers, and we won't let Atlas have Vale! For Blake Belladonna and all faunas of Vale and the world!"

Velvet was more than happy to join in that cheer, she'd grown attached to a few of the men and their stories, she'd never really had a chance to be around so many faunas at once, and for Yang it was a welcome sight. The way she could be so hopeful in such a dire situation, it reminded her of Blake... The rabbit was far more innocent, though, and she hoped her and the rest of the team would be okay. They were up against a tough opponent...

When Yang was finished lifting her weapon in the sky with the rest of the men, they began their march through the fog and to the cliff. Their plan was daring, but at least they had one. They were going up the steps, and from there, they were making a new hole in the Atlas defenses. They had found enough explosives left in the Atlas caches at the docks to make a really big hole, hopefully opening their way into the city. From there, they could maneuver like rats and become the biggest thorn in the side of the Atlas they could possibly be.

Yang just hoped her friend didn't die in vain. Even if they lost the fight, as long as she saw the ones responsible pay for her loss, she could die happy.

 **[Author's Note: Hey guys! So I started writing this chapter for Halloween as a machine-horror piece, but I only really finished the creepy parts and had to stop because I've been getting home super late/tired from work every day lately. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it and it was spooky enough none the less, even if it was late!**

 **My clipboard tells me someone is still scheduled for an ass whoopin'. Let's hope Ruby made it back to the city! Oh and has anyone ever wondered what the deal with the butterfly is? Huehue~]**


	25. Chapter 25: Chance

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 25: Chance**

Cinder wasn't too pleased with the turn of events, her head was pounding and her aura depleted and from what she could tell it was still morning. She was still worried that today might be longer than she'd hoped, and to make matters worse, Ruby had been insistant on dragging that corpse of a doll with them, carrying it on her back like some sort of... false human haversack, empty and soulless.

They walked in silence, Ruby was looking just as exhausted as she was, but she pressed on, burning her aura to maintain her body's movements. Cinder knew Ruby was a driven individual, but this impressive feat was beyond her expectations. It was clear to her she'd been right about this girl, having feelings for her, it wasn't a misjudgement... A thought she'd struggled with a few times, considering Ruby's typical childish or ignorant behavior. Ruby was wearing an expression of angry triumph, despite their situation, and she trudged on dragging Penny over her shoulder through the grassy fields.

"I don't know why you put so much emotion in to that thing," Cinder stated offhandedly, the remark not meant to prod but it was obvious she'd hit a nerve by the way Ruby's shoulders suddenly shook and she gave a glare in her direction.

"Penny's not a thing, okay?" she said quietly, however much the tone of her anger still played through her words. She really was upset that they'd done this to her manufactured friend... Ruby didn't see it like Cinder did, at all. Ruby saw Penny as a person, a friend, not a highly advanced piece of machinery meant to replicate a person exactly. The first was of course just not true; the second, Cinder's reality, a far more unsettling and abnormal prospect. To say she felt disgust when she thought about Penny's function, maybe it wasn't the right word... But she definitely felt uneasy.

"If it wasn't just an object, anyway, then it wouldn't have been wielded like a weapon against us. I'm sorry Ruby, but you just can't trust something that isn't truly genuine. Penny is no more a person than these words are a pen." She touched the locket around her neck. Wasn't it mother who'd tell her things like that? Yes, her childhood dolls when they would get damaged... Ruby stopped walking, the movement of the misty fog continuing about her. She let Penny down from her shoulder, and looked back at Cinder with an upset face.

"Ruby..." The Maiden watched her lover as she looked over the face of the inactive robotic girl, and Cinder took a step closer.

"I'm not in the mood for another one of your lectures," Ruby snapped, her voice quivering with sadness. Cinder took her hand. She wasn't a teacher, she wasn't a mother, they were lovers.

"Look... At Penny, I mean. Really look at her." She thought it best to refer to it as humanely as possible, for Ruby's sake. Ruby's eyes were watering again, but she looked at the singed wiring, the sliding plates, all along the edge of her flesh where she'd been blown apart... The gears, the pistons, all required to move her body. It was all the same, she'd seen it before when the girl had been quartered by Pyrrha. She wasn't built one bit like a human... She didn't even have a brain under there, just a black casing that probably served as her major memory storage, almost indestructible... Penny would be back, good as new, but no human would have ever survived that.

"She can't help what she is. I'm sure if she had 'real' feelings, she wouldn't have wanted any of this... But you have real feelings, and allowing yourself to be sad over her instead of angry at the ones who made her what she is, that's a waste of time and we don't have time right now," Cinder said slowly, quietly, bluntly.

Cinder paired her words with a gesture, scooping up Ruby's hand in both of hers as she leaned closer. She pressed their lips together, a genuine kiss, to let her know that she didn't mean any harm by it. Ruby just had to accept the truth right now... She leaned away.

"I'm not saying leave her here or something heartless like that. Just don't let yourself get bogged down with loss when the loss isn't there."

Ruby nodded slowly as she started to understand, then began to wipe her eyes. She was right, and Cinder had never stopped her from mourning Blake, or her mother, but... She guessed Penny was different. She really was just different. Slinging the carcass of the android girl back over her shoulder, she continued on, not needing to wait and check if Cinder would follow. She already knew the Maiden would.

They walked in silence again for a good while, after some of which Cinder was sure they'd missed the outer wall of Vale's northern perimeter. When they hit more trees, and began to trudge through those, instead, Cinder grasped Ruby by the shoulder to slow her down. They were almost to Beacon Academy, surely... They were both tired, and that certainly was the wrong place to end up, though they risked far less Atlas troops lurking around these parts.

Cinder felt relieved that Ruby was somewhat calmer now, for when they breached the other side of the small grove near Beacon's entrance, it was rather apparent that the Grimm were near. They lurked just beyond sight, in the mist, dark looming figures with white masks hidden in the obscuring brightness of the light grey fog. They would have to be careful... But perhaps if they went through and around...

She had been about to step from their cover when Ruby suddenly grabbed her hand, halting her mid-step, and with a tug she rocked back behind a tree.

"What-?"

"Shhhh!" Ruby silenced her, and slowly set Penny down again. She leaned against a tree with both hands, leaning her head just around the edge of the trunk, listening.

That was when Cinder heard it too. Voices. It was impossible to tell who's voices, or where exactly they were, however they were close enough, somewhere toward the Academy itself...

Leaving the discarded husk of the combat droid's body, the two of them, on Ruby's lead, made their way quietly and carefully forward. Cinder's eye swept about, looking for the Grimm... They made it to the bridge just before the main Beacon concourse and hid, Cinder poked her head out quickly to glance about once more.

She saw the Grimm, wandering like an infestation, a handful of them scattered about. She was sure there would be more off inside the building and on the far side of it like before. They were still unarmed, and now with their Auras nearly depleted, a direct confrontation was probably in the realm of suicidal.

When Cinder went to get another look, Ruby shoved her head down with both hands, much to her protest.

"Hey...!"

"Shh, I have both my eyes, stay down!" she countered, and Cinder shut up, even if she did feel mildly offended by the statement... Still, Ruby was right. The Huntress and her keen senses scanned the edge of the fog, she could barely make out the outline of Beacon through it, and several figures...

"There, by the base of the tower!" Ruby could see four figures moving... One of them was quite large, the two smaller ones flanked by an even smaller figure that looked like a quadruped, like a dog or something...

"I have no idea who that is," Ruby said softly, and Cinder bit her lip. Neither of them could make out the male's voice or what he was saying, but it was definitely a male voice. It didn't sound very familiar...

They exchanged glances, and Cinder decided they had enough room to get closer. If either of them had more energy to muster emotional responses or flare their Aura in any way, she would have decided against it, but right now, curiosity dominated both of their minds, and detection was a risk she was willing to take... The Grimm would have trouble finding them without something to latch on to... although these people had their eyes. They could still run away, again, perhaps, if they needed to...

"I'm not sure about this," Ruby said as Cinder slid down to the bank of the creek underneath the bridge and hopped over it with a great flourish, scrambling up the opposite side. Ruby only had a few seconds to contemplate this before she would be left behind, so she went with it, and together they made their way closer to the tower, sticking to short movements and waiting to make sure they were clear before continuing.

Eventually, they got close enough to make out the voice's words, so they stopped where they were behind a row of bushes that were really starting to overgrow... Shame on the Beacon groundskeeper. They couldn't see the figures anymore, but the unfamiliar voice was concerning enough... It laughed a dark laugh, and as the daring duo reached the wall of the Academy, they hugged it, and Ruby peered around the corner.

"-would've guessed this would be so easy?" the gruff voice said, and Ruby watched as the group reached the middle of the clearing at the base of Beacon's tower.

"Don't sell it short," a familiar voice answered, and when the owner of it flipped a hand through his hair, Ruby gasped. Cinder grit her teeth, she knew that voice already... And if she was any good at guessing, which she was, then the rest of the group...

"N-Neopolitan..." Ruby whispered, confirming Cinder's fears, and they both exchanged faces of anguish. They were both exhausted, they didn't want this fight, and yet... Ruby's glittering eyes held her own, and Cinder found her strength in that moment. This could be it... Either they stayed hidden and lived, or they were found and they died. Her eye stared strong into those glittering pools of silver, matching it with the golden fire within herself, the survivor, the amber gaze of one whom knew that today they would live. Ruby's barest hint of tears tore at her heart, but Cinder held her gaze with conviction, and grasped her shoulder with a strong hand to comfort her. Emotions were off limits. Neither of them could speak, they both knew, so they huddled together against the stone of the building, and listened.

"Mum's got a whole kingdom bowin' before us, and you go and say it was easy? Rude," the average-sized, average-looking shape with the familiar voice warbled, Ruby believed it to be that Yoru man from before, the traitor from what she'd heard. The one walking away from the others must have been Neopolitan... So short. She twirled a cane, her misty figure trudging up a couple of the steps of the entrance to the tower. She turned to face them, and gestured in the thick fog.

"Now now, don't get so angry, my child... This is but a family vacation, and we're not even done yet. Why, would you truly want to leave before seeing the fireworks, darling?" As she spoke, Neopolitan swung herself up and around one of the pillars near the doorway, she seemed rather elated with her circumstances. Ruby's ire burned dark and deep. Here these people were... Raising hell, making their lives miserable, acting so very jovial and talking of family... Her fist clenched tightly, but Cinder's warm fingers circled over it, and her breath caught. Her anger started to drain, her fist giving way from hard and firm to loose and calm, fingers lacing with the Maiden's.  
"I assume you're not talking literal fireworks," Popsicle pondered, and Neopolitan leapt off from the pillar and back in front of the three figures, waving her cane high into the air.

"NO!" she shouted, and laughed a rolling, ugly laugh. Ruby didn't like her, at all. Disgusting little bi-

"Of course not! You already know exactly what's coming... And if you didn't hear those cannon shots a bit ago, then perhaps you haven't really gotten it through your head yet..." Neo stalked closer to the other figures, and pushed her cane up under her surrogate son's chin. He raised his arms, holding them up in surrender, and the gruff man, the huge one beside him, reached out with his huge hand to wrap his equally huge fingers about the tiny little cane. He plucked it from Neopolitan as if she were but a babe, and held it over her head, without really trying.

"Hey...!" She jumped for it, again and again, but he was just too tall, and that was an understatement anyway.

"Mmm... No cane. You always forget..."

"Rainbow, give it back!" she shouted, but the man didn't budge.

"Yeah, Mum, you're always forgetting that's a gun, just like half of everything else in Vale. Seriously, what is it with these people and putting guns where they don't belong?" He reached behind his back and held something up, turning it over a few times, a rectangle, a very familiar shape...

The chill that ran up Ruby's spine was so evident that Cinder suddenly tensed too, especially when Ruby squeezed her hand hard.

"M-my..." she whimpered, and Cinder immediately reached out and cupped a hand over Ruby's mouth, pulling her close against her chest, into a warm embrace. There was no way she was letting a bit of emotions ruin this entire plan... She slowly let go of Ruby's mouth, and the Huntress turned her face away, to bury it into her own hand.

"They have my scythe," she whispered softly, the pain lacing that statement causing Cinder's eye to twitch ever so slightly. After this was over, they needed to have a serious talk about Ruby's emotional attachment to inanimate objects. Still, the sentiment wasn't lost on Cinder, realizing what that meant. This was the second version of the Crescent Rose, a streamlined model made by a talented Huntress and the one weapon that turned Ruby into a real warrior... And one of the most vicious circles of blades she'd ever seen.

"We have to-!" Ruby tried, and went to leave, but Cinder gripped her by the mouth again, her other arm finding her waist and yanking her further into cover, holding her tight. Now wasn't the time to be so stupid. They weren't getting that scythe... But they at least knew where it was.

"Did you hear something?" Popsicle suddenly stated, and though the two couldn't see him, they knew he had frozen just as they had, listening. Cinder held her breath, and still clutched to Ruby's face.

"Yeah, it's called Grimm... They're everywhere," Neopolitan finally stated, after a long pause, and Cinder practically gasped afterward with her loss of breath, but was able to draw it slowly through her nose instead.

"My dearest, sweet, Rainbow Sorbet... If you would?" Cinder released Ruby so she could peek around again, and she watched the group of villains as the big man turned about to face the small dog-like sillhouette beside him. Slumping down onto one knee, a wet thud resounded with the weight of the dent he made in the soft soil. Reaching out to it, he placed a large finger underneath it's chin and lifted it, grunting. They still couldn't make out much... It was hard to really tell what they were even wearing, let alone what that creature was.

Regardless, the little thing seemed to act under some unspoken command and bound away off into the fog, though it was evident by the noises it made that it seemed to be sniffing about. A bad omen, Ruby thought, and tugged Cinder's wrist so she listened. Cinder heard it too, and started to formulate her plans. They couldn't stay here...

"You know, outside of the obvious use of the Grimm for mass destruction, I guess they really do have their perks in security as well. I mean, out here, they really are just everywhere... Haha... Well... Since I have your ears, my darlings... Would you like to hear a story?" Neopolitan put her feet together and stood up straight, reaching one dainty hand toward her overly large compatriot, whom handed her back Torchwick's cane, which she promptly leaned on as the third of the troupe clapped his average-sized hands.

"I do love a good story. Who's it about this time? Qrow? d'Arc? That hiddeous Belladona girl...?"

Ruby had to literally bite her tongue, and remind herself that she was doing this largely for her fallen friend in the first place. Mourn later, Ruby, she told herself, now is the time for stealth...

Cinder feared that at some point they would say or do something that crossed the line for Ruby, and she would either do something they'd both come to regret, or worse, attract the Grimm with her emotional responses. Her eye had been taking in what little it could see about them, and her mind ran over what she knew about Beacon's grounds. Perhaps they could make an escape by going through the building, but the noise could alert anything nearby if they used a door...

"No, no, nooo, why would I tell such a lame story about those silly little ingrates? Especially that d'Arc fellow... He was one of the easiest ones to control, right? Right...?"

"Right!" chimed the other two, almost achieving synchronization.

"I mean really... Get him worked up about his dead not-girlfriend and he'll do just about anything to get at Cinder. But regardless, that's who this story is about today," Neo quipped, her sing-song voice stirred Cinder's emotions and memories. Neopolitan hadn't ever really been somebody she'd enjoyed being around. Today was no exception.

There was an ever so slight shift in the bodies of the two men that was completely unnoticeable to Ruby, however she could almost feel their curiosity radiating from where they were.

"Wait... really?" the smaller of the men questioned, and the larger one simply grunted, "About time."

"Once upon a time there was a little girl..."

Cinder's eye twitched again. What...? Ruby suddenly looked back over her shoulder with a similar expression of confusion on her face, and the two of them listened as hard as they could now out of their own curiosities.

"This little girl was the most adorable, cutest, most amazing little girl you've ever seen."

"I thought you said this story was about Cinder, Mum?" came the response, and Ruby covered her mouth to keep from laughing when Neopolitan smacked him upside the head with the cane. He swore a few times, rubbing his head, while Neopolitan paced in front of her gang, clearing her throat.

"The little girl was me, you idiot," she said with an acidic growl, but didn't break her pacing.

"Now of course, such an amazing and talented little girl must have had friends. And I did. Lots of them. Lots of them..." Her tone, suddenly darkening the way it did as her hands twisted along the cane... Ruby remembered who they were dealing with.

"But none of the little girl's friends knew who she really was, you see, because her beauty had to be hidden from the world, none could be so easily graced with her pressence, unless they were worthy... So the little girl put on dresses, wore disguises, and befriended all the children in her Kingdom." The little twirl that Neopolitan did here was on point, but also out of place with the sinister undertone of her excentric rambling.

"But one of those friends was sad... Her mommy was sick." Her tone... The fake sadness made Cinder sick, considering the subject matter.

"Is that face even real?" Popsicle asked, apparently referring to her expression right then, Cinder ground her teeth, she knew Neopolitan was mocking her. Had she really...?

"And when that disgusting plague sack finally dropped, her friend disappeared... Cinder went away."

Ruby's eyes, trained on the group of bandits as they were, failed to see the clear rage building on Cinder's face... In fact, it was the sudden heat she felt on her back that warned her, and she tried her best to find Cinder's gaze with her own. Using their Auras, now that was a sure way to get noticed...

"The little girl always wondered what happened to her friend. She only lived right across the street, but as the days went by, and that house grew dusty... She had to wonder. Who were the men that had been there? What had they done with Cinder? So of course, the most amazing and talented little girl in the world had to find out, to help her friend. But you know what? It turned out her friend was a big fat meanie, because when she did finally find the men, they were all dead!"

"What, like, all of them?"

"All of them! Pretty gruesome too, really." Neopolitan kept her back and forth movements, practically marching about as she told her tale.

"But the little girl knew her friend had been there, because in all the ashes she found a locket. Cinder's locket. A special, special locket."

"Oooh, the locket," Rainbow grumbled, and while he seemed somewhat excited, it wasn't clear if he truly was.

"So that locket really does mean something, huh?"

Cinder stewed, and clutched her hand around the locket. She looked right through Ruby, off in her thoughts again, dangerous now more than ever. Ruby put both hands on her cheeks, steadying her. They stared at one another while Cinder's rage built, but she found it hard to muster rage when eye to eye with her lover like that...

"So the little girl kept the locket all to herself, vowing one day to return it to her friend. But alas, when they next saw eachother, fate dealt the girl a bad hand. Finally deciding that Cinder was worthy of seeing her true beauty, the girl revealed herself, but... As fate would have it, her friend never recognized her after all those years. How sad, really, so tragic..."

Despite the fact they both knew it was a ruse, Neopolitan did manage to sound legitimately upset by the turn of her fates. But from what Cinder was now rolling over in her head perplexed her, the only girl she remembered on her street was the one who lived across from her, and they hadn't been friends at all. In fact, she'd thought the girl was creepy and strange, and although her mother made them play together sometimes, she'd always hated it... But also, that girl had looked nothing like Neopolitan, however if what she was saying was right... It really had been her all along. That fact didn't bother her. It was everything to do with her insults to her mother, all this bullshit about her beauty, when that face was the only thing that could possibly disgust her right now.

How long had Neopolitan been doing this sort of thing?

"It's just too bad that they're not friends anymore. Really, though, the girl's friend had it coming, so rude..."

"Rude," chimed Rainbow.

"Yeah, rude," followed Popsicle.

"And now you two get to be part of the story... Awww, how cute. So the little girl grew big-"

Laughter punctuated the quiet, silencing Neopolitan short of finishing her thought, but then a sudden loud bang topped the previous interuption and the average-sized form in the mist jumped back, scrambling to right himself as Neopolitan's cane lifted back over her shoulder. Evidently, she hadn't appreciated his laughter, and blown a hole right where he'd just been standing.

"So the little girl grew big, and she had herself a family. And now, that family is hittin' the big time! Queen of Vale, that really does have a nice ring to it..." Neopolitan spread her arms wide, gesturing toward the city, and her cohorts mumbled their agreements.

"I can't wait to see that smug look wiped right off those damn Huntsmen's faces! Especially that silver-eyed brat... Always ruining everything. Just as soon as we're done mopping up this mess, I'm gunna gut her myself, nice and slow, and make her sister watch..." Just the tone Neo used had them both fighting against their anger again.

"I'll hang her upside down, maybe let all the red drain from her rosy little body... I want to watch her friends cry. I want to see their faces! They took everything from me! Everything!" Her tone grew more intense, it seemed she still harbored her grudge, Cinder was certain it was all over Torchwick's death.

But, Cinder's flame sparked when Neopolitan finally brought up Ruby herself, and she clenched her fist as she listened, pounding it hard against the stone of Beacon Academy's wall, the thick stuff barely making a sound from her puny fist, but the boiling hatred within her acted quickly, and her heart pounded. Her chest felt tight, and she was wracked with pain again, and Ruby, as she peeked around the corner, watched as the huge man suddenly perked up, and glared right at them. Her eyes went wide, and with lumbering footfalls, he began to stalk quickly in their direction, straight for their hiding place.

"Cinder...?" Ruby questioned, as the woman clutched at her chest, and breathed heavily.

"We need to go!" Ruby whispered and ushered her lover up, shoving her roughly to get moving. The crippled Maiden stumbled along as quick as she could, the noise of a couple of her footsteps echoed clearly along through the pillars as they moved.

"Rainbow, what is it?" Neopolitan was saying, and the noise of their movements seemed evident enough to both of them. But by now, the hulking man was running for them, and they ducked around another corner as quick as they could, but they were too slow, and a heavy hand found that same corner with a slap as it pulled its owner toward it.

But as both of them turned in fear to face yet another aggressor, a sudden slice of silver pierced across their vision, something impacting the wall just under that hand, begging Rainbow's attention before his head had rounded the corner to join his fingers.

"Find what you're looking for, big guy?" Qrow said as he sauntered over and leaned against the wall, plucking his sword from where it had embedded in the solid stone. Perhaps it was his nonchalance, or perhaps the large man was simply too stupid to register what had just happened, but he stood there, frozen for a moment, as he processed this.

"Oh great... Is that Qrow?!" Neopolitan shouted, waving her cane angrily in the air.

"Well what are you waiting for? Get him!"

Suddenly breaking from his trance, the towering fist of Rainbow Sorbet's punch came crashing down toward Qrow, but the master of moves was too quick, catching it with the flat of his blade and holding it surprisingly at bay despite how small he seemed in comparison. The tall man was much closer now, and Ruby could see where she peeked from their new hiding spot that he was bald, and wearing a set of obviously custom-fitted suit-vest and slacks, his large, rippling, sleeveless arms practically as big around as her waist. His heavy-set jaw and brow made his slow demeanor seem justified. The pin stripes on the otherwise white clothes he wore were, as the name suggested, each a different color, their scarce, thin bands practically blending in with all the white in the fog. His eyebrows were light brown, and when combined with his strong brow, practically all but obscured his eyes save for the most advantageous angles.

"Ahhh, picking on someone your own size... I guess that's wise," Qrow said, and then lifted his leg straight out to kick the man high in the wrist, a display of flexibility that Ruby had never seen the man do before. He hit Rainbow right in the pressure point, causing him to yell in pain, and go for a swing with his other fist. Qrow stepped back, but misjudged his huge reach, and with a lurch of his shoulder, he planted one right in the middle of his chest, knocking him back and along the slick grass as he held his stance until the force disappated. He stood up straight and shook his body to loosen it, before he rolled his neck and clutched his sword tighter.

Qrow knew what he was fighting for right now, and the pained look of desperation that Ruby was giving him from the corner of his eye where she hid... He rushed forward and with a clever feint, pretended like he was going to slash upward at the big man, but instead slid suddenly lower and sliced into his calf, the roar of pain and anger coming from him now as he turned to face Qrow echoing louder around them.

The Grimm were finally upon them.

They crept like cats in the night, low growls or a hiss indicating their pressence first, then the slinking forms as they turned about in the mist. They were coming for Cinder and Ruby, but luckily for the two of them, Rainbow Sorbet hadn't caught on yet. The trio of villains seemed to assume that it was Qrow who'd provoked all of their senses.

"Hit a sore spot, did I? What's a'matter? You mad?" He hadn't had enough to drink before this fight, but still he held his own as the two of them traded blows a few more times, Rainbow's heavy fists meeting steel, Qrow dodging about.

As the Grimm approached, Qrow seemed more wary of them, and backed away, leaping to get some distance between his opponent and himself. The man didn't seem to so much as flinch as a small pack of the Grimm broke the tree line, one that looked like an oversized badger, another, a lion, a handful of creatures Ruby didn't quite recognize... The manifestations of horror. It hadn't been very long since she'd been face to face with them, but still Ruby's spine tingled in the worst way and she immediately froze and began clearing her emotions as her Huntsman training dictated. Cinder's rage had been quelled by the pain in her chest, and she focussed more on breathing than anything, holding on to Ruby for support. Together they watched as the Grimm moved toward the large man, toward them, but as they did, the oddest thing happened. The largest of them all, the one shaped vaguely like a lion, suddenly began to run ahead, before their slow advance, and then turned on them, and began roaring and swatting at the others. It reared onto its hind legs, tackling another of its kind, wrestling it, gnashing at others, the sudden and complete aggression disorganizing the Grimm as they started to react to the new enemy. The cat-like Grimm pushed the other Grimm back, fighting them out of the clearing and back into the trees. Qrow seemed dumbfounded.

"What the fff..." he trailed off, and Rainbow cracked his knuckles, a sound not unlike breaking a wooden board in two. As the mess of Grimm rabbled around the courtyard, Neopolitan began firing off her cane, forcing Qrow to move yet again as the small explosions rocked where he'd just been standing.

"Oh for Remnant's sake...!" Popsicle piped up, and reached a hand out toward Qrow just as he landed from his evasion. Suddenly, Qrow's feet flew from underneath him and he landed hard on his back in the soil, knocking the wind right out of him as he struggled both to breathe and get up. He managed to spring to his feet just in time to take flight as yet another attack from the massive man landed his way, huge fists swinging like hammers.

The ground split under those fists, soil upturned by the slam. It was very evident he was an Aura user, just as they all were, and Ruby figured that those punches must have felt something like a freight train, but she watched as her Uncle took it, blocking or moving out of the way in time. His skill in combat certainly was impressive, he used the man's size against him and parried a blow with his blade, knocking him off balance and into the untrimmed bushes, where he was easily tangled. But the moment the massive man was out of the way, the average sized one stepped in, and coming in not much shorter than Qrow himself, the two met eye to eye as he suddenly appeared as though he had always been standing there. Qrow hadn't quite anticipated his speed, and caught a nasty right hook to the jaw; he stumbled back, but kicked outward, striking his opponent in return with a quick blow of his own. The kick caught Popsicle offguard, and crumpled his fist inward and into his shoulder, shoving him violently back as he spun into the air and bounced a couple times off the ground. Ruby felt a gust of wind shortly after, she could practically feel Qrow's Aura from here. They picked a fight with the wrong Uncle! But her eyes caught something else as it skittered along the wet grass...

For her own sake, she stayed quiet, but feeling Qrow it handled, she turned back to Cinder to offer her help and try to alleviate Cinder's pain, rubbing her chest gently with a calming hand. It helped enough.

Once Qrow had cleared himself of the two males, he leapt for Neopolitan, who's expression had gone from triumphant to terrified rather quickly. She scrambled back, and brandished her cane, but took high ground on the steps to the tower entrance. Pointing the weapon at Qrow as if it were a foil, she thrust it at him as he came close, keeping him back.

"Don't make me do it, nosy little bird!" she shouted at the man, but Qrow's expression wasn't so joking any longer. He crossed his sword with her weapon, and attempted to thrust into her with sharpened steel, but he found her parry to be formidible enough. Without any further words, she suddenly crossed her heel over her other foot and thrust again, slipping the length of the cane between Qrow's elbow and impacting him in the face, right between the eyes. The precision required, especially to get around his guard... If anything he was more stunned that she had gotten through than stunned by the blow itself, but never the less he was forced to step back, and she came at him again, swiping low at his calf.

Whatever that cane was made of hurt like hell, that was for sure. She beat him in the ankle, and when he tried to simply swipe at her again, as she was wide open, he watched as his swing suddenly went wide, Neopolitan didn't even move and he'd missed as though his blade had been jerked in the middle of the attack. He grit his teeth and growled over his shoulder as the two men from before were approaching from behind, the smaller of the two having brandished twin tonfa, twirling them ardently with a smug grin on his face. The larger one cracked his knuckles, then his neck, then his knuckles again, and looked absolutely furious.

Qrow was used to being outnumbered, but this time he was certain he couldn't stay to finish this fight alone, and his two charges were in no state to help him. He really had one choice, and so he turned and fled, running quickly away while Neopolitan shouted orders and her gang gave chase. Ruby counted her blessings, while Cinder felt lucky that Rainbow seemed to be a man of few words. If he had said something, they might have assumed more than just Qrow's presence...

But Qrow led them away, and soon enough they found the silence reigned once more.

As soon as she caught her breath, and gasped that she was okay to Ruby, the Huntress stood and bolted into the courtyard, which was slowly starting to clear of the fog, and slid to her knees in the cold dirt and wet grass. Qrow had managed to cause that man to drop... her scythe. Her hand ran over it, the dewdrops of the morning reflecting the red of its beautiful folded frame, and she slowly scooped it up, her eyes glittering with the wonder she felt at having recovered something she thought she'd never see again.

It still had a clip loaded and everything...

Without wasting any more time in her amazement, she sprinted back for Cinder, and grabbed her hand, slinging the collapsed weapon across the small of her back and tugging her loved one to safety. Together they went, back toward the city again, shaken but still standing. But as they walked, they heard a sound, a familiar sound, similar to one they'd heard recently... An explosion echoed in the distance, a lone sound rolling and long. It sounded just like a bomb... And it was huge...

"The White Fang..."

Along the cliffside, thirty or so of Vale's freedom fighters crouched, hugging the wall as they stood along the steps. High above them, Nora worked. Her expertise with demolitions played perfectly into this scenario, she had taken all of the charges they had left and combined them with an Atlas primer, linking them together to roughly shape the charge up and away with a steel plate taken from the dockworks. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to work. Operating under the distraction of the airship's movements, they could already hear the mass of soldiers up above preparing for whatever it was they were preparing for. As she set the charges, Nora felt tears spring to her eyes... All throughout her time here in Vale, she'd always loved this cliffside... And now they were forced to ruin it's beauty, forced to do so because of the tyrrany of others.

They only had so much time before the Atlas troops came looking, so she tried to make it as quick as she could, and when she finally leapt over the side of the stairs and down a few flights to join the others, she gave a nod to her lover who passed it down to Yang behind them, and she lifted her fist in the air, signaling everyone to ready themselves and get down, preparing for the explosion. It was going to have to be a close one.

Once everything was prepared, and they could hear the soldiers above them beginning to mobilize, Yang gave the nod and it passed back through Ren and to Nora, who nodded in return and held up her detonator.

Her mourning for the beautiful cliff gave one more second of pause to her actions, and as she looked to Ren, he smiled sadly at her, knowing just why that pause had come.

When she hit the button, they were all immediately deafened.

The huge concussion of air careened from the cliffside in a shower of rubble and smoke, threatening to knock their people loose, but having already anticipated the possibility of falling, the men had anchored themselves as best they could with anything they had on them. Rope, their weapons, cleverly stretching their bodies across the steps, but each man had already made peace with their possibility of dying. And so they all held on for their lives, until they could no longer feel the air warping about them.

In the confusion of that moment, their heads pounding, ears ringing, they charged.

Each of them let out a battle cry that none of them could hear, but their enemy quaked and trembled at the aftershocks of the explosion, and the terror that settled in when they realized there was still more kept them from reacting quickly enough to stop what happened next.

The Buccaneers ran up the steps and flooded over the edge of the large crater created by the bomb, using it as a ramp to charge right into the heart of the Atlas defense, which was now missing its entire front line. No sooner than they breached the edge did they begin to recieve frantic fire, and Yang watched as the first of them went down, a clean hit to the shoulder, that man would live, but perhaps he was out of the fight.

A lone soldier stood up there, shooting at them, bewildered as his staggered comrades tried to get to their feet. The hail of return fire peppered his torso with bullets, and while some of them flung violently from his armor, others impacting the cover around him, there were still several spouts of blood that erupted from him, and he fell out of sight as more flashes in the mist alerted them to more fire.

Sticking with the plan, they hooked right and Nora came to a halt, her grenades arching over them all and reducing the Atlas position further to rubble. As their hearing began to return to them, from the ringing began a deep, high-pitched whine, and when Yang's head finally cleared, she found herself once more on Vale's streets, an incessant alarm sounding all around her. The cracks of gunfire from the responding forces came from along the road, and the men took to cover behind Atlas vehicles or positions, using their things against them as the real fight broke out.

Some of the men were cut off, still in the crater as they used the edge of it for a firing line, pinned down by the squad of Atlas from further along the cliff. They were stuck in a firefight already, and Yang grimaced. They had to get moving, or surely they would all die. Above them they knew the airship loomed, and though the fog kept it from firing, they couldn't chance somebody being able to spot for fire support.

Yang made a decision, just like Blake had, one that would be for the benefit of her men's lives.

Rushing from her cover along the buildings in the street, she broke out into a sprint straight up the left side of the road and toward the Atlas troops. She fired all the while, as did her men, covering her movement as much as she could. She could see an Atlas officer shouting orders, pointing frantically, she could see the trails that their Dust weapons made as they flung death passed her. When she could see the whites of the first man's eyes, watched him take cover from a hail of bullets coming his way, she summoned her Aura, and shot forward with impressive speed.

Clearing the gap, and with a roar of rage, she hit their force with everything she had. Like lightning incarnate, Yang's fury crumpled the first man's armor, bloodied his face, and sent him flying into the sandbags behind him. He rolled off, unmoving, and she didn't hesitate, charging the next man in the line, even as he fired at her. Something fluttered through her, pain, perhaps, but her adrenaline didn't mind it one bit and although one of her arms seemed to be feeling a little heavier, Yang felt her Semblance come to her and her eyes flared red in her anger.

The man's cries of agony shook his comrades as they watched the girl grab him by the wrist, using one foot to pin him against the wall, and tore his arm clean from his shoulder. The bullet wound in her arm didn't seem to slow her at all, but they opened fire anyway, terrified and trying to stop the golden-haired woman from inflicting any more damage.

She raised her gauntlet to the incoming fire, shielding her face. Behind her, the men were finally moving, and in front of her, they were desperately rallying back to their commander while their position was compromized. She wanted that man in the hat... Wanted him dead at her feet... Something had to pay for Blake, they would all feel her wrath!

The ground shook with the force of her leap as she launched herself straight for the men shooting at her, and rammed her shoulder into the steel barrier they hid behind, flipping it like it were made of paper and it rolled over them, knocking them with it as it bounced over the pavement. She could feel more pain somewhere in her body. She knew she'd taken bullets, but she'd intended to. They only fueled her anger, and as she used it to her advantage, she could feel no pain, only glorious friction, anxious to get this all over with.

The others, with their mobility regained, fled down an alleyway and deeper into the city. Only Velvet remained behind for Yang, she'd stopped in her concern and hidden at the edge of the alley, watching. While she was up against mundane troops, and she was an Aura user, Velvet's compassion didn't allow her to leave her friend behind so easily.

But the enraged Huntress was busy at work, and while the remaining group of soldiers fired upon her, she ducked behind an armored car, and with a roar of rage upturned it and pushed it along the ground so she could get closer. Once she was, she leapt on top of it, and jumped onto the soldiers, tackling one to the ground with a heavy elbow, crushing his armor and rolling off of his body, delivering an uppercut to another that sent him clear over the nearby battlements and surely knocked him out straight away. Her right gauntlet rolled as it loaded the first of her shells, and she kicked the rifle out of a soldier's hand, spinning with the motion, firing a blast into another's chest. She could feel her own blood on her hands, it was dripping down her body in various places, but she continued to ignore it as she turned back to the weaponless soldier and shoved him violently back into his comrade before he could ready his weapon. In just a few seconds, their squad had been dealt with, and the commanding officer, whom had been backing away slowly this whole time, watched as Yang moved over to the two toppled soldiers and slammed her fist into each of their noses, despite waving hands and begging protests.

When she finally stood up and turned to the man, her blood-soaked clothing from the four holes in her body painted her yellow form to clash with red, her eyes as bloody as her body as she stepped over the fallen soldiers.

"Yang, you don't want to do this," the man said to her, and she stopped.

How did he know her name? She looked closer, passed the uniform, and, realizing her mistake, her eyes widened. As her former friend drew his sword from where it lay alongside his shield, he picked up his weapons and held them before himself in a defensive stance.

"Jaune..." she breathed, and with a look of conviction painted on his face, the blonde-haired man faced the blonde-haired woman, and let his sword ring loudly against his shield.

"Indeed. I know why you're here. Here to help that traitor sister of yours... Here to help Cinder Fall and her devious plots against Vale, right?"

Yang couldn't believe what she was hearing. Traitor? Cinder? This had nothing to do with either of them! It had everything to do with their home!

"What are you doing, Jaune...?" she questioned, keeping her guard up, and they paced around each other in a circle, watching each other's every move. Back down the street, Velvet's eyes were watering as she watched her two friends face off, she wanted to stop them but she knew that getting in the way suddenly could make things worse. It was better to stay put, let them talk, which they seemed to be doing...

"What am I doing?!" he snapped, glancing her over from tip to toe.

"Look at you! Aiding a known criminal? Turning against Vale, attacking it?" It was obvious they'd gotten to him, propaganda maybe, or maybe he really did just hate Cinder that much? Was he blinded by his rage?

"Turning against Vale? Atlas has been murdering civilians since they got here!" Her voice was pleading, her eyes pained, how was she supposed to deal with this situation? Her face wound up in her distaste for the moment, but her heart still raced.

"You don't get it... Maybe because you never tried to see. Vale has become better, there's less crime, the inner compound is beautiful, totally transformed. We have structure now, purpose! Yes, we have to take on a different banner, but so what? Since when have banners mattered?"

Sure, she hadn't been inside, but she'd seen pictures of what they'd done to inner Vale, and she still definitely prefered how it had been before. The amount of banners and flags they'd hung up everywhere...

"Apparently, they matter now. There's nothing better about mass murder, Jaune!" She wondered if he even knew what had happened, of the civilians they'd dumped as corpses for being degenerates in their eyes. She didn't care about how much fun the colaborators might be having on their high horses. She just wanted her vengeance. Jaune was getting in the way, in a really, really big way... And he was pushing it, even if they had been more or less friends through Ruby before all this. She watched, waited, bided her time, looked for an opening, as her father taught her... Now was not the time to rely on her Semblance and charge in, headfirst. Especially not when she had seen some of the things this man was capable of.

"Maybe Cinder can tell you of mass murder!" he shouted, for it would be Jaune who would make the first move. Conversation had only hit an impasse, so instead he tensed himself and held his shield before him, bringing his blade back and out. His toes dug in, and he shot forward, charging Yang with all the speed he could muster. She expected his sword, and went to dodge, but that only got her his shield, and the only thing she could manage to do was put up both arms in sudden defense. As Jaune's bash rammed into her with force, she slid on her feet until friction on the asphault caused them to catch, and she stumbled backward while the swordsman moved in. Not wanting to risk taking a plunge at the very start of the fight, Yang thrust her fist at her friend turned foe, firing a projectile straight at him and using the recoil of the gun to turn herself so she could regain balance. It wasn't going to be over that easy!

Especially not when he batted the shell out of the air with a single movement and charged for her again.

Jaune cut at the air, his armor, repainted with the Atlas symbol, reminded Yang that her attacks wouldn't simply just get through. She was forced by the sudden aggression to pull back, and waited for him to thrust. The moment he did, she spun out of the way and palm-striked the flat of his blade, throwing his sword arm wide and leaving him wide open. She leapt for that weakened defense, taking care to aim around his shield as she slammed the first strike right against the plates of his armor, finding it far harder to crumple than the soldier's armor. The blow knocked the wind out of him still, but he pushed her roughly with his weaponry, only managing to keep her at bay long enough to right himself and breathe, for she was upon him again.

Yang, after striking the first blow, didn't let up. He put up his shield, so she slammed her fists rapidly against it, shoving it around until his arm weakened and she kicked the side of it, once more throwing him wide. But this time, he curled his other arm inward and met her with his blade, forcing her to halt her punch just before she impaled herself on his weapon. She had to move back, and chose to do so with a powerful jump, her feet grinding to a halt on landing as she panted, weighing her options. Fleeing would only lead him right to the rest of the troops, but her wounds were sapping her strength slowly without use of her Semblance.

She would have to trick him somehow... But Jaune wasn't stupid. Perhaps when it came to women, he was, but in combat, he had come a long way, and she wasn't about to weigh her luck on letting him injure her and faking defeat. He knew what she was capable of, and that was perhaps the worst part about this engagement.

She decided it best to press her advantage of range, and before he had much time to close the distance, she began to hurl explosive shells near his feet, forcing him to move back. It was only a delaying tactic, but it gave her time to roll for cover, and she popped over it and fired with one arm while bracing with the other. Her steadied shots aimed true, but Jaune simply hit them from the air, his precission was uncanny... His speed, too, had he been training under Atlas or something? He seemed one step ahead of her, he'd definitely gotten stronger recently, but where was his weakness...?

From her cover, Velvet could hear the sounds of other soldiers approaching the area of the explosion. The rest of the team was long gone, into the city to hide amongst the buildings before they were found, but Yang... Of course the first thing those soldiers were going to do was fire at her and not Jaune, he was in uniform, so the only option left in her mind...

"Oh no... I hate fighting," she whispered to herself, and frowned sadly, holding her camera before herself. She had never really liked it, of course, combat wasn't her thing, but knowing how to fight... It was important, because sometimes, she knew, she needed to. This time it wasn't for Coco. This time, it was for Yang, and she understood that. The long-eared girl turned to leave, she had a response team to stop.

For the yellow-haired girl, however, her situation grew more tense. She fired more rounds to keep Jaune away, but he either swatted them like flies, or simply stepped or jumped out of the way. It was clear her shots were just too slow... And to make matters worse, he was talking.

"You know, Yang, this really is foolish," he said almost half-heartedly, and smacked another explosive with his shield, it detonated behind it and he seemed unphased.

"I could call artillery from the sky on top of your head. Right now! I mean, really, what is it you're trying to accomplish here?"

She couldn't put her finger on it, but Jaune seemed to be acting strange. He looked like himself, talked like himself... Aside from that, what was it? Had he suddenly become more alpha-male with the gain of power?

"You don't get it Yang. You could join us. It really is just that easy! All it takes is a change of perspective," he said, and she shook her head where she crouched behind the steel barricades of the recently-comatose soldiers she'd given what for.

"Think about it, I mean... Look at me. Look where you've been lately. Hanging with those faunas rats, and for what? Just look at Blake..."

Once that name played over his lips, her crimson eyes lit up with a passion Jaune simply wasn't ready for. She let it burn, let it smoulder, she waited.

He was going to pay for that.

"Blake tried to stop Atlas with what. A tiny little bomb? One harbor, destroyed... Did you know Atlas controls more than any other faction in Remnant as of two days ago? And don't even get me started on Ruby! How dare she side with the one who killed Pyrrha. Her friend!" By now, Jaune was close, much closer. He seemed to think it was safe enough, now that her weapons seemed ineffective... Yang smirked, despite the tear that slid down her cheek. Poor Jaune, she didn't even need to decieve him. He'd decieved himself, as always.

"I thought you knew Ruby; you don't," Yang said, and as soon as her voice issued forth, Jaune turned his head toward the sound of gunfire nearby. He smiled a wicked smile, a smile the likes of which Yang had never seen before... Or yet, for she spoke once more.

"Ruby can forgive. Unlike some."

The statement had exactly two seconds to sink in, while Yang summoned the last of her rage, and suddenly with blinding speed was over the barrier and at his side, where neither his sword nor his shield could protect him. She had already crouched low, and she delivered a blow to the side of his knee that could have buckled even the largest of Grimm, and even through Jaune's powerful Aura, he collapsed suddenly with a cry of pain. He looked up at her, then, with fear in his eyes, but it was already too late. Yang was furious, and the sudden eruption of power around her spelled that out plain as day. Her knee connected with his jaw, which had the effect of causing him to stand upright, and she found his chest with a series of seven blows, each combined with a blast powerful enough to push him back. She followed with his body, and he tried to block again, diverting some of the damage to his shield, though his Aura was quickly thinning from her assault. He noticed her pace slow, however, even through her anger, and he grinned, taking her next punch to his jaw despite the smile and stumbling back, laughing.

"What's so funny, punk?!" Yang barked, and he let his Aura flare around him so she could feel it. Her body tensed, he still had plenty of energy left to throw at her, and she dug her heels into the ground, knowing what came next.

Jaune spun his sword in his hand, and then came at her again, thrusting right for her chest. She caught the blade between her hands and let him push her until her heel hit the edge of the curb to the sidewalk, then lifted, and used his momentum against him, essentially tossing him right over her shoulder. Jaune skid along in the dirt at the side of the road, and stood up, brushing himself off and charging her yet again. It was a brutal way to wear down a foe, but Jaune's best tactic, Yang's depleting reserves meant she would have to do something, fast, or she would lose...

So the moment Jaune came in for a thrust, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, put her arms out wide, and thought of Blake. Her imperfect perfection, her stubborn heroism, her martyr calling. She let that blade run her through, just as Blake had taken the blade, and when Jaune stopped in surprise, blinking once, she opened her eyes and gave him the hardest glare she could muster. Taking her Semblance and finally using it where he'd failed to realize she'd have the advantage, her power flared exponentially, and she gripped his wrist with all the strength of a woman scorned. It was so tight, in fact, he couldn't feel his hand within a matter of seconds, and he cried out in agony. Yang pulled his blade deep into her gut, yanking him closer, and bore down on him with her eyes.

"Never speak ill of Blake again."

The first thing she did was twist his wrist as hard as she could, at the same time, for good measure, she stomped hard on his toe, pinning him there in front of her. The force she used immediately broke Jaune's wrist, even his Aura couldn't stop it. He cried out again, his arm useless to him now as he dropped his sword, and she released it. With her hands free, she unleashed as many blows as she could muster all over the front of his body, sparing him the mercy of being blown to pieces with her weapons, instead just hitting him for real, driving her fists against his body.

She cracked his chest plate with only two blows to the same spot, the third shattered it. She kept going, and hammered at his rib cage, breaking a few bones here and there before she moved on, giving him two really good ones in the upper thigh.

And for good measure, she topped it all off with a right hook straight to the face, express from the grave courtesy of Blake Belladonna. She released his foot as she did so, letting him take the full force, and Jaune shot against the wall of a nearby condemned building, falling to a pile beneath the dent he'd made.

Yang stood up slowly from where she'd leaned into the hit, and looked around herself. All about her there were soldiers still unconscious or possibly dead, and now Jaune had joined them. She looked down at herself, coated in blood... Her own blood...

It was almost always her own blood.

She fell to her knees. She doubled over and coughed. More red now stained her hands. She'd really done it this time, though...

Jaune's blade protruded from her body in two places, she'd taken a bullet in each arm, and one in her hip, and had acted on them the entire time... Her Aura was drained.

She was finished, and so she leaned over until she was laying down, and thought only of Blake Belladonna.

Silence.

A sudden jolt, there were voices, they brought her back if only for curiosity's sake. What happened?

"-goodness, this is bad, so bad, bad!"

"Calm down, Velvet! Believe it or not, I've seen worse than this. Help me carr..."

Drip... Drip... Drip...

How long had that noise been annoying her, now? Hours and hours, at the very least. Days, maybe? All she knew was... She was getting tired of it.

Coco opened her eyes and cast them down to the floor below her, where the sweat running from her brow made it to the concrete. It had pooled a very long time ago, and now when it hit the ground...

That noise was the worst part of this torture. She hadn't been told, when she'd asked her parents about what torture was, that it made you sweat so incredibly hard. No, that was a part she'd had to figure out all by her damn self. Not that she'd ever asked her parents what the fuck torture was anyway.

Coco's glasses had long been knocked crooked on her face, they hung lopsided there at the edge of her nose, but she hadn't had the heart or really the energy to shake them loose or try to right them. No, they were fine just where they were, because where she was, suspended five feet from the ground by her arms wrapped over the top of a long metal pole, well...

Her glasses were the least of her problems.

Her hair was still a mess, and her hat wasn't on straight any more either.

She still regretted her mistakes that led to this stupid cell in the stupid center of the forsaken Atlas compound, but they did have a profound effect on her, locked away here for however long she'd been here, a few days maybe? She wasn't quite sure... Poor Velvet, really. She realized now she shouldn't have been so hard on the girl, perhaps. Maybe if they were still together, she wouldn't have landed in this mess?

Coco felt alone. She was, in fact, quite alone. She hadn't seen or heard from anyone in days other than a man who'd come by to spray her with a hose, presumably to give her something to drink but in effect it really hadn't helped her situation much.

Why was she here?

Well, now that was the question, wasn't it? Supposedly, she knew something she didn't. Which, Coco had ascertained, was completely impossible, so why she was still here, she didn't really know.

How was she supposed to know where the other Hunstmen were? It had been every woman for herself since the start of this thing! But now wasn't the time to get pouty. She had to focus, or whatever, right?

It was a good thing her Semblance helped her. Appearances were everything, and they'd thought this would break her. No... It just tired her arms. A lot. But she was far stronger than that. The chains kept her here, though, the lack of food kept her of course from breaking those. It was a damn shame she'd only woken up after hunger had already set in. That was probably intentional as well.

She stared at the wall for what felt like hours. Total silence was around her, only the sounds of her panting, and that horrific dripping. If it wasn't too much a trouble with her breathing, she would've sang a song, or something to pass the time. But this... This was just...

"BULLSHIT!" she screamed finally, breaking her lifelong longest silence finally, and thrashing about suddenly at her bonds. She couldn't even wiggle side to side very far, the chains they'd secured to her feet kept her from swinging herself much at all. What was she supposed to even do? What did they want from her? Was she going to die like this? Here... In this horrid, tasteless, concrete cell without so much as an air freshener or snappy wallpaper?

"GRAH!" she yelled, and thrashed about again, but she turned slightly in the wrong way and swore loudly once more as she started spinning. This wound the chain up tighter below her, until it caught, and jerked painfully at her feet.

"Fuck!" she sobbed, finally just tired of it all, and she slowly unwound, spinning the opposite direction, then back the other way, then around once more... Until it finally evened out again in the middle, and she hung there quietly, trying not to feel so hopeless. All of her cockiness couldn't save her now.

The silence pervaded for another indescribable period of time... But then it broke. The oddest sound she'd ever heard fluttered passed her ears, tensing her entire body in reaction, and she looked around for the source. It continued, a strange sort of humming, grew slightly louder, and she turned about until the bar she was chained to spun once more.

Behind her something red had appeared, seemingly in mid-air. It slowly grew bigger, and Coco finally shook her head to clear it, her glasses falling to the floor and shattering against the concrete. But despite the attempt to dislodge the illusion, it became clear that it was real, and it grew even larger, a swirling ball of deep scarlet. It pulsed with a darkness there in, and suddenly it opened in every direction, unlike anything she'd ever seen. It was as if space itself yielded to the mystifying energy, but what happened next nearly had her soiling herself, though she was far too dignified for such things.

Someone stepped through the strange three-dimensional breach in reality, as if arriving from everywhere within it at once. Initially, Coco was terrified by the white mask with red eyes. She'd thought the Grimm had some how been unleashed on her, but when it was instead followed by the gorgeous curves of a woman, she became equally as terrified but far more confused.

The strange woman brandished a sword, and struck at her chains, she fell to the floor, and wheezed the last of her breath out as the heavy metal bar bore down on her until the chains slid from her body and it rolled off of her back, nearly squashing her toes.

"Wha... why did you help me? Who are you?"

The strange figure didn't say anything at first, instead simply sheathed her sword.

"Let's just say... Ravens hate cages," she stated cryptically, and then offered Coco her hand. The fashionista took it, and got to her feet with the help, staring before her at the strange gateway to the unknown, a strange dark abyss that offered her no less fear than the one who had come out of it.

"It is your choice. Freedom, as the bird flies, or a cage. Come now. I already know which one you'll pick."

And with that, she was gone again, and Coco had no choice but to follow her or the alternative...

 **[Author's Note: If you were wondering what happened to Coco? That's what happened to Coco. She got caught without help, haha. Also poor Velvet, honestly... She's so innocent in my head that I just feel bad any time something bad happens around her lol]**


	26. Chapter 26: Initium Papilio

**[WARNING:**

 **There's a reason for the scent I mean;  
the scent of lemons fresh and clean  
the loving embrace yet to be seen  
please don't read if you're a tween**

 **A poem by Yonderus A. Discord]**

 **Falling Cinders, Chapter 26: Initium Papilio**

Fevered hands scrambled across bloodied wood. Pressure, pressure, and a release of light swarmed through the darkness, Yang could see figures hovering above her. Someone leaned over her face as she tensed, she tried to squirm, but something stopped her. The long-eared angel above her touched her forehead, and whispered, she breathed harshly, confusion written over her face as she attempted to remain conscious. But the faces above her played and danced like devils in a fire, she couldn't be sure if they meant her harm or if she were safe. She lashed out to push them away, but her use of force on her lack of strength only delayed her movement, and something grabbed her arm, pushing it down and pinning it beside her.

The voices about her blurred together, as did the light, and swirls of white, brown, and green meshed to form a painting of insincere speculation. Unable to hold on there, a circle of black protruded from the edges of her vision and scaled slowly down the walls to the center, cascading her world into a serene calm of darkness once more.

Just beside her, Velvet bit her lip, placing her hand to Yang's forehead when she finally slipped from consciousness. All about her the room was a flurry of activity as the men worked to save her, the long-eared girl put both of her hands back to the woman's chest, keeping pressure on the bandages over her most grievous wound. They had recovered Jaune's sword from the fiery blonde's body, the split it left had gone all the way through and just barely missed several organs, the largest of the damage dealt to the muscles of her back where the blade had pierced through.

She was lucky, Velvet knew. Anybody else would likely have been dead by now, but the absolute strength that Yang showed in times of peril like these... They couldn't fail her. It just wouldn't be right. Velvet applied more pressure to the bandages, while Weiss and the only remaining medic they had from the White Fang personnel tended to the bullet wound just above her artificial arm. They pulled out the slug, which had wedged itself against her bone, and a topical astringent was applied to help reduce the bleeding as much as possible. She would need every ounce she could get.

Next to Velvet, Weiss stood with worry written all over her features.

"I don't get it... Ruby told me she would signal for me to come when she needed my help, but... It was you all who set off that bomb?" Velvet nodded to her, but she remained busy with her charge on the table. Having arrived to find a critically wounded Yang hadn't settled too well with the Schnee heiress, for some reason she'd believed that Cinder and Ruby had had more of a plan, but once she had seen the state of her leader's sister, it was clear to her that they had been only hoping on a miracle. Wherever the two were now, she wasn't sure, but it was clear to her that the rest of her friends would need her help.

Lie Ren leaned against the window as he had before in his own home; now, though, he remained on look out for Atlas troops once more while Nora did the same on the other side of the building. They had secured a small office building for their use, assuming that Atlas would be searching most residential domiciles first. While this limited their access to sources of food, it was a necessary sacrifice to position themselves somewhere that wouldn't be discovered. They only had one chance for a surprise raid on the main compound within the walls, and while they had Velvet's pictures to help them, it would still take every ounce of caution they could muster.

Across the room, Weiss placed a hand over Yang's, and sighed.

"Just hold on, hothead... Where's that sister of yours...?"

Just outside of the city walls, Ruby stood, holding Penny over one shoulder, standing at the mercy of the cold winds that had picked up as the afternoon settled over them. Cinder by her side, both of them looked up to the top of the walls, before Cinder shot a sidelong glance along them.

"Let's just go around to the east. If we go over the top we risk being seen," Cinder stated, and Ruby frowned. They both knew why that route wasn't exactly ideal; while Cinder wasn't expecting it to happen, it could potentially cause Ruby a moment of emotional turmoil as they passed her mother's grave, and that of course risked the Grimm.

"O-okay. I think I'll be fine," Ruby stated, and the two of them set off, making a slow pace about the wall and angling at the corner into the outskirts of Vale's destroyed areas. It had been awhile since they'd been out here, now, but it didn't make the experience any more pleasant than it had been before.

Treading through the broken streets and among collapsed or burnt buildings, Ruby tried to ignore her emotions as they threatened to draw out the snarling beasts they could hear among the rubble, though the scenes of brutality left behind by the Grimm and Atlas played strongly on her heart.

Cinder came to a halt among the ruins; she had been trailing slightly behind her lover, causing the cloak-clad woman to stop as well and turn around to watch. Cinder poked through the remains of a house, lifting a few beams of burnt wood, rummaging slowly until she stood and looked back to Ruby.

"What is it?" she questioned, but Cinder shook her head, and rejoined her lover, walking carefully over the broken ground. Nothing for them here, she guessed. But it always helped to make sure.

As they walked, the calm seemed palpable enough, a surprising change from the morning they had had.

"Your hair is getting long again," Ruby said softly to Cinder, who took the statement as something to fill the silence more than a comment which needed a response. She shrugged slightly and looked away.

"I like it is all," Ruby assured her, and the Maiden cast a glance her way as they walked.

"You should see your own," she replied, and Ruby rose an eyebrow. Had her hair been growing longer? She reached a hand up to the red-tipped strands and ran her hand through one side. She was right, it was nearly down to her shoulders now. How had she not noticed? Stopping near a puddle of mud, she leaned over it and checked her reflection in a small pool of water; sure enough, she looked a whole lot like her mother. She gave a sad smile for that fact, and looked up passed the edge of the ruins to where the small grove of trees sat, the path running up the middle to her mother's grave seemed undisturbed.

Without waiting for her to make a decision, Cinder wrapped her fingers carefully in between Ruby's and pulled her along toward the path. It was better to just face it, hesitation could cost them.

They walked together between the trees, the gentle winds rustling the leaves and confusing both of their hearts with the serene nature of the place despite what they had been dealing with lately. When they reached the end of the path, at the hill overlooking the plains to the east of Vale, for a moment Ruby released Cinder's hand and stepped forward, looking out over the scene, and then to the south, where the gleaming lake spread low below the cliffside.

She set Penny down against the tree nearest the lone stone that sat atop the hill, finding it oddly fitting that she rest here with the other one Ruby had lost. Ruby decided it was best to leave her here for now. She looked around once more.

She could see from here the damage that the blast they'd heard from before had caused. Their friends were fighting, out there somewhere. Her pained face was only aided by the hand that found her shoulder, and to keep herself stable, the only thing Ruby could do was turn into the touch, and push herself up against Cinder's body, squeezing her tightly.

The bewildered Maiden let it happen, though, and settled her arms around her little Rose, comforting her.

"I hate it when you're right," Ruby said, and Cinder's noise of confusion prompted her to continue.

"About that whole thing you said... You solve one problem, and there's nothing to stop another from coming along."

Cinder smiled weakly for that. At least she'd learned to expect it, right? But the watering eyes that her single one became met with spelled out a different truth. Why would Ruby ever expect it? Despite all that had happened, she was still naive enough to just want peace in her life. But, for once, Cinder's own heart reflected that. They could use a bit of peace, couldn't they?

It seemed so far away now, when they had had a life together. A home. But now they were vagrants, wanted "criminals", they had nowhere to settle down, to rest their heads... Cinder squeezed Ruby tightly, placing a hand to the back of her head and holding her against her shoulder. The smaller woman took a breath to keep from crying, controlling her emotions as she cast her eyes to her mother's grave. At least some things were still okay... If only Summer were here, she thought, maybe her mother would know what to do?

Cinder parted from her lover, releasing her and stepping forward until her feet were just before the stone on the hill, and the sun with its setting light cast a glow about her that accentuated her curving body, illuminating her strong, long legs, her forceful shoulders... Ruby gazed at her back, where the top of her tattoo poked out from underneath the fabric of her jacket, slung low on her shoulders uncaringly. She stepped forward and her fingers found it, touching Cinder's skin suddenly and causing her to bristle and tense ever so slightly. She turned, and Ruby's fingers slipped under her clothing, her hand gently rubbing at Cinder's back, the warmth it afforded her causing her to sigh gently.

"Cinder?" Ruby questioned, and the woman cocked her head to the side, not saying anything, but listening none the less.

"You said before... You don't have any family anymore, right?" The Maiden searched that silver gaze, but then nodded slowly.

"Mmm. Sorry... It's nothing," Ruby added, and turned her eyes to the side, but Cinder was quick to grasp her chin and return her to a position where they could see each other.

"Not nothing. What?" she questioned briefly, her voice offset by her previous injuries at the volume she was using, causing it to crack slightly, though neither of them cared.

"Well, it's just that..." Ruby trailed her fingertips along Cinder's shoulders, under her jacket. The gentle touch calmed Cinder and for a moment she closed her eye, and tried to pretend like they hadn't just been running to save their lives. It was a wishful thought to begin with and the calm didn't last long, so she looked back down to Ruby as she waited for her to continue.

Instead, the Huntress removed her hand and pulled away, moving to crouch before her mother's gravestone, touching the surface of it.

"I know I have Yang, and my dad. But neither of them are a Rose. I have no one else, there was only my mother. Between you and I? Well... We're the only survivors of our family names, aren't we?" She looked over her shoulder, back up at Cinder where she had crossed her arms and stood watching.

"I guess you're right," she whispered, but she wasn't following. For a moment, a silence settled over them, and the sound of the wind became the only thing that played across their ears. Cinder hung on Ruby's words, wondering to herself what it was that floated through Ruby's head.

"I want to show you something," she said suddenly, and Cinder's eyebrow rose as Ruby did too, standing to turn back toward her.

"Ruby... We have to get into the city before dark. It's dangerous..."

The eyes she received in response to that statement, however, had her second guessing her ability to resist. Ruby really wanted this.

"Will it take long?" she asked, and the Huntress shook her head.

"Fine," Cinder sighed, and the excited girl grasped her hand and pulled her from the spot on the hill, to the side of it where the path had continued and wrapped around. They followed it down, to the base of the hill opposite the trees, where the start of the rolling fields began. But much to Cinder's surprise, what she'd thought of as simple grass and fields turned out to be much more than that. At the base of the hill began a scattered field of tall grasses, and while it was scarred in places from obvious fighting in the area, likely because of the Grimm, there still grew a fair amount of nature all around them. Flowers sat beneath the grasses, not as tall but just as tenacious. Their dull colors were given new life in the dying sunlight.

The Grimm, she'd noticed, tended not to destroy nature like this on their own. Instead, they usually existed within it, like true animals might, but it was still a wonder to her how this place hadn't been destroyed among it all. This hill, pristine as it was, stood as a testament to the will of survival.

And Ruby, smiling to her lover as she ran on ahead, stirred her hands through the plant life and watched about her as a swarm of insects filled the air. Watching them as they fluttered into the sky, she smiled to herself as the butterflies and moths scattered around her just like they always had when she was a little girl.

"Mom used to bring Yang and I here when we were children. It's why we put her gravestone just up the hill," she said, her eyes dancing in the dying light of the afternoon, watching with a childlike wonder at the colorful swarm that raced about her. Even Cinder could appreciate the beauty of so much life among the chaos, just over the horizon from where devastation seemed the norm.

Ruby fished about in the grass, until a small exclamation of triumph issued from her bent-over body, and she stood, and turned, cupping something in her hands.

"You say you love me," she started, walking up to Cinder, her smile beaming with what she knew. The Maiden was confused, but nodded.

"But do you trust me?" Ruby asked her, and it brought pause to Cinder's thoughts. While Cinder could honestly say it was hard to earn her trust, she thought back to everything that had happened to the two of them, and then nodded curtly.

"With my life."

The bubbly girl chuckled at her, and nodded a few times. Whatever she was hiding seemed to be a mystery.

"Then after all of this is over..."

She unfolded her hands, and inside of it sat a lone butterfly, gingerly held so as not to be harmed, and when it was released, it remained on her hand, and unfolded its wings, then folded them back again, repeating the motion a few times. The pair were angled, edged with a deep black, and pointed at the ends. Inside their membrane was laced with more of that black, like a spider's web, and filling in the gaps the brightest crimson she had ever seen flooded the little thing with color. She didn't quite understand where Ruby was going with this, but she lifted her hand and let the butterfly flutter away. When it moved, she caught sight of something familiar along its form, and she blinked suddenly in understanding.

"When we're finally safe again... Let's make it official. You and me..." Ruby drew closer, and slipped her hands along Cinder's arms, then up over her shoulders. One dipped into her jacket again, pressing her palm flat against that tattoo back there...

"We'll make our own family. No more being alone."

Her small body slipped up against Cinder's, and the Maiden couldn't help but rest her hands on Ruby's hips as she was kissed deeply, the shorter girl standing slightly on her toes. In that moment, there was no fear, or pain, or exhaustion... The Grimm were not going to come for them, and she knew it when that love blossomed in her heart, that in this very moment they were safe and together. When the lovers parted their lips, they held one another's gaze, and Ruby's smile, so beautiful among the sunset, sank deep into Cinder's mind. Together.

"Forever," Ruby said softly, and Cinder matched her smile slowly, nodding gently in acceptance.

"Okay," she said to Ruby, and nodded once more.

"I'll even get the tattoo too, if you change yours..." The prospect sounded wonderful. The two of them, forming their own family together, combining everything, sharing it. Ruby wanted her to change her symbol, she wanted to put hers with it.

"It would be like a butterfly," Ruby said, unable to contain her excitement as her fingers toyed with the flesh of Cinder's back. All she had to do was add the rose motif in the middle, and certainly, it would.

"I like it," Cinder said, and the light that spread through Ruby's eyes again warned her of the incoming kiss as they once more coupled, Ruby's hands fisted her jacket and pulled her in, so very enthusiastic with the moment despite their shortening window of time. Together they stood, lips pressed to one another's among the flowers and the grass, the butterflies like falling leaves settling back among their kind and joining the landscape once more. They stayed, holding hands, long enough to watch the sun set behind the lines of trees in the distance. With the sky still awash with color, they turned back toward the city, and the devastation there in. Despite the dire circumstances, the calm of that moment they'd just shared had filled both of their hearts with the love and determination they both needed to continue on.

Once the morning's fog had dissipated, it had left a clear sky that began to shine with stars by the time they reached Vale's wall again. As they had expected, the entrance into the wall had been all but abandoned with the attack on the southern cliff; the two guards that watched their post seemed more concerned with turning their eyes inward to the danger of the rebels that had breached the city perimeter than they were with the outskirts. Sneaking by them was as simple as waiting for the right moment, and within the hour they were back inside Vale, for the first time in what seemed to them to be ages. However as they wound their way between the alleys and hid among the buildings, Cinder felt as though they were being watched.

She chose the first abandoned-looking building she could find and broke in with a quick use of force to jar a door, then barricaded the other side with the dusty furniture of some poor sap's unused living room. She took Ruby and hid them both away in the master bedroom of the home, where a bed waited, even if it was just as coated in a layer of dust from being left to fend for itself since the initial invasion. While Ruby went about searching for and replacing the linens with clean ones, Cinder still got the feeling that something wasn't quite right... Her paranoia grew enough that she began peeking out of windows, but still on the street she saw nothing. With her guard lowered again, she returned to the bedroom, but just as she entered the doorway, she was prompted to turn around when something made a noise along the floor. No sooner had she wheeled about, though, than a heavy force picked her up by her collar and threw her back, slamming her into the wall as she was pinned there by the man holding her aloft, off of her feet.

"Uncle Qrow! W-What...?" Ruby started as Qrow glared right into Cinder's eye, just an inch away from her face.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" he yelled at her, the disgusting smell of his alcoholic breath threatening to burn Cinder's nose.

"Let go of her!" his niece cried, and ran over to attempt to pull him away, but her lack of strength meant that this accomplished next to nothing, and the Hunstman doubled his stance with a hard shove, Cinder's anxiety had already shot through the roof and the increase in air temperature hadn't gone unnoticed by either of the others.

"What's your problem?!" Ruby shouted, and Qrow's eyes narrowed.

"This dumb bitch just ruined everything, that's my problem!" he shouted, more of that pungent odor leaking from his lips and making Cinder's face wind up as she tried to turn her head.

"I spent days following Neopolitan and her crew. DAYS! And here you two come flying in like a bunch of rookies, you ruined everything! And like hell I'm going to stand around letting this... Amazing example of outstanding citizenship continue to put my family in danger. You could've been killed, Ruby! What, do you think that huge lug's arms don't look like they're capable of strangling you with just his pinky finger?!" While he spat his anger at them, he spat, too, upon Cinder's face with the force of his words, but she was too weak now, her Aura drained, to really stop him. Still, she caught note of his own drainage, he'd expended much of his energy to fight off Neopolitan it would seem, a testament to her and her crew's abilities.

"Stop it, Qrow!" Ruby demanded once more, "She didn't make me do anything! I'd have done it without her!" While that much was probably true, Cinder thought, it still didn't help her situation. But her eye flicked briefly to where Ruby's scythe lay resting by the door to the room, she'd set it down upon entry, and she held her gaze on it long enough for Qrow to glance at it himself, then back to Ruby.

"Is that your scythe?" he questioned, and she nodded at him. Relaxing his grip, he lowered Cinder until her feet touched the floor, but he didn't let go, keeping her back to the wall.

"You're lucky this time, Fall," he reminded her, and with a rough shove he knocked the wind out of her before finally letting go. Cinder gasped for breath and clutched her chest, Ruby helped her to the bed and she lay down to regain her composure while the drunk paced the floor swearing at himself.

"You don't get it, Ruby," Qrow said in agitation when she tried to question what he was doing here.

"I was this close to stopping Neopolitan myself. And lo and behold, Miss Flaming Fucking Wonder here managed to screw it up just like she did before dragging you into her fights. If they had found out you were there in the state you're in...!" Ruby stopped him by raising her hand.

"But they didn't. And that was because of you... Thanks, Uncle Qrow. I'm happy you were looking out for me."

Cinder breathed softly and placed a hand to her own forehead. She'd had enough of this punishment for a day. But still, she noticed the well-played words her lover gave to the agitated Huntsman, and he sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I can't keep cleaning up after your girlfriend, Ruby," he stated, and she frowned.

"It's not her fault," she tried in defense, but when her Uncle clenched his teeth at her and drew a breath through them, hissing, she looked to her feet.

"If she screws up like that again, there's no guarantee I'll be around to save your sorry asses next time. She needs to watch it. And stay away from Neopolitan. This isn't some game. Neopolitan has been up to something, she's never in one place long, and I'll be damned if I manage to find them again now that they know I was spying on them." He flopped against the wall and slid until his bottom rested on the floor, and hung his head in his hands. Ruby's empathetic nature got the best of her and she walked over to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey... For what it's worth, I've never doubted you before," Ruby tried, and offered him a smile when he looked up, "just ask Cinder. I always assume you're out there somewhere, helping out. We're sorry we ruined your investigation."

When she said this, she stood, and looked over at Cinder, prompting her with a flick of her eyes and a roll of her shoulder to do the same and appologize. Cinder groaned internally, but sat up, and sighed softly.

"Sorry," she stated simply, but Ruby knew that it was about as much as she'd ever get from the Maiden. Close enough, anyway. Cinder slumped back down on the bed.

"I just wish sorry saved lives," Qrow stated, and bumped his head backward against the wall, the noise not loud enough to echo through the building but still enough to make his point.

"Don't worry," Ruby said, "I'm sure we'll figure something out. Neopolitan hasn't shown her hand yet, right? So we still have a chance to find out what she's up to before she does."

Cinder particularly didn't care for Vale's residents, save for Ruby and maybe her sister, by association. But they did have a common goal here, and the elimination of Neopolitan before she could wrap her greedy little claws around what was left of Vale, or the Atlas organization, that was still her priority. Qrow's little temper tantrum wasn't helping.

The man stood up, evidently done feeling sorry for himself.

"Yang and the others are somewhere nearby. I can almost feel it... I'm going to look for them, Ruby. You two stay here, and stay quiet. Atlas are probably crawling all over this city by now."

He turned to leave, but Ruby stopped him with a light touch on his arm.

"Uncle Qrow? Thanks. For saving us, I mean. I know you didn't have to." Qrow gave her an affectionate look, patting her on the shoulder, and nodded once.

"Just stay safe. I'll be back for you two in the morning." With that, he left, and closed the door behind him. The silence that pervaded the room settled in, and from beyond it they could hear the sounds of a city stirring. Atlas certainly was on guard, but she hoped they were hidden deep enough in this place for now. She looked back to the bed where Cinder lay with her hands over her eyes, palm up. Poor thing, she thought, Cinder was always the target of everyone's ire. It wasn't like they had known they'd end up spying on Neopolitan of all people... And she'd recovered Crescent Rose the Second because of it.

She moved to the bed, and leaned over it, placing one hand by Cinder's head as she did so, looking down at her.

Ruby couldn't help but smile at the little bit of an eye that peeked out at her after that. She knew Cinder would probably hate her for it, but she thought it was adorable. As if waiting in expectation, though, Cinder watched her and Ruby pushed her hair back out of her face, stroking the top of her head a few times lovingly.

"Get some rest. I'll take first watch," she stated, then placed a light kiss to Cinder's forehead, and stood upright, heading to the door. For Cinder, the words warmed her heart, for it was exactly what she'd needed to hear. When the sound of the door opening could be heard, she sat up again.

"Ruby...?" she whispered, and the Huntress turned back around to her.

"I love you," she said softly, and the girl in the red cloak smiled, before stepping out and shutting the door behind her. Cinder was left in that eerie quiet, but, her head heavy with her lack of Aura and her physical exhaustion, she quickly fell asleep in the dusty room, thankful to have a proper bed this time.

For awhile, she slept soundly, and all was well. However, her first indicator of something off came when she felt something touching her inner thigh, and she shifted twice, but it was still there. Opening her eye slowly as she felt hands, she watched with a curiosity in the darkness as something moved about below her blankets. Throwing them back, she was greeted with a smiling Ruby, who seemed to currently be indulging herself with stroking Cinder's legs, an expression on her face that Cinder didn't quite appreciate at the moment.

"Mmn... Ruby, stop it," she whispered in protest, but with an evil sort of smile, the girl didn't do as she was asked. Her fingers pressed down harder into Cinder's flesh, and one hand traveled upward...

"Ahh... S-stop..." she tried again, but what was the use? She closed her eye slowly, but the moment it clenched shut, there came a laugh. Her eye shot open immediately, for the laughter was far too familiar... and it wasn't Ruby's.

The girl between her legs laughed again, and as she did so, a bright patch of pink blossomed in her dark hair... Her eyes shifted color, and she laughed yet again, that sinister, wicked laugh. Ruby's entire body morphed in front of her, transforming into a woman in a white, elegant outfit, her dual colored eyes sharp and humored, and Neopolitan sat right before her.

"Wha...?! Ruby...?" she called, and pulled her legs away from the woman. As she crawled closer, and laughed yet again, Cinder backed away, terrified. Her frantic breathing and her pumping heart became all she could really hear other than that laugh.

Something clouded the evil woman's eyes. Within two seconds, the inky blotch spread outward and turned her irises black, then her sclera, her eye sockets looking somewhat akin to deep holes in her head. And yet again, Neopolitan laughed, and from her mouth, and her eyes as well, there dripped a thick, black sludge, pouring over her clothing and splattering all over the blankets.

"No... No, get away from me!" Cinder shouted, and immediately began to scramble away as the flooding darkness touched her feet, its cold, slimy texture worming its way between her toes as she screamed... And suddenly awoke with a start.

Panting heavily, and sweating profusely, Cinder looked around herself, finding that she was safe and alone... Neither Ruby nor Neopolitan seemed to be here. She placed a hand to her forehead, trying to slow her breathing enough that she could reach to replace the bits of clothing she'd removed to sleep and return them to her cold, drenched frame.

She took one of the blankets from the bed and wrapped it about herself, and went for the door.

She found Ruby leaned against a wall, looking forlorn and clutching her scythe as she gazed blankly out a window that overlooked the nearby street. Without saying anything, Cinder walked over and joined her, huddling against her side and leaning her head onto Ruby's shoulder suddenly. It was unexpected, and broke her ambedo, Ruby became suddenly confused at her appearance, but she didn't stop her. Ruby knew she'd speak when she was ready, and so for a moment they sat together in silence, until Cinder broke it.

"I had a nightmare," she breathed, and Ruby's look of concern made her feel bad for saying so. It wasn't like it had been the worst dream she'd ever had or something... But still, Ruby reached over to lean her scythe away from them and turned her attention to the other woman, pulling the blanket open and sidling up to her lover.

"You okay?" she questioned, and Cinder nodded to her, but looked away. Ruby's hand searched about underneath the blanket blindly until she found Cinder's and held it, her digits toying with each of Cinder's one by one, exploring the shapes of her hand slowly. It calmed her, and she wiggled until her head rested in Ruby's lap, where her other hand was free to play with her hair.

"I was just counting the fireflies," she said quietly to Cinder, "but I lost my place. There weren't many, though, I was probably just counting the same ones." Even though she wasn't really saying anything important, just hearing her voice did wonders for the Maiden. Ruby couldn't be Neopolitan with a voice that sweet. Ruby brought Cinder's hand up to her mouth and kissed it, then placed her other hand around it as well, rubbing her Maiden's fingers and palm. Cinder, with her single eye, lay there and looked up at Ruby, who offered her a small smile in return.

"Feel better yet?" she asked, and Cinder nodded again, still keeping quiet. How could she not? The Huntress coiled their fingers together, and moved one hand back to her hair, toying with it gently as Cinder closed her eye once more.

"I bet your mum would've been proud to see how beautiful you'd grow up to be," Ruby said, just enjoying the moment. Despite the movement of troops around the city, it had been mostly quiet, the lack of gunfire leading her to believe that they likely hadn't found the others yet. It was this peace that she had been coveting, even if it was more akin to a calm before a storm than an actual lull of hostilities.

"Are you still tired?" Ruby asked Cinder, and when she got a nod in response, the Huntress sighed softly.

"Then I guess it can't be helped," she said and reached over to her weapon, grabbing the long shaft again and using it to prop herself upright, and stand. This dislodged Cinder, who moved to sit up, and watched her lover as she rose to her feet. She offered her hand down to the Maiden, who took it, letting herself be led back into the bedroom. Ruby set her scythe by the door, leaving it open, just in case she needed it. Cinder took the moment to return to the bed, and she lay across it, giving a soft sigh as her blanket settled about her. Ruby removed her shoes, and her corset, her cloak, and her stockings. She piled them all neatly on the chair that sat alone in the corner, uncaring of the dust as she moved to join Cinder on the bed.

"I forgot how warm you are, it's cold tonight," she sighed as she worked her way under the covers, sliding her body up against Cinder's, letting their legs naturally coil together and coming to rest one of her hands and her forehead on Cinder's chest. The Maiden wrapped her arms around, and pulled her in, letting her natural warmth envelop the girl and cause her to purr in pleasure. When her nose prodded up under Cinder's chin, she smiled, letting Ruby nuzzle into her. She liked it when Ruby did that, it always made her feel warm, too, an affectionate little gesture that tugged at her heart strings.

"And I forgot how soft..." Cinder's voice trailed off as her hand went wandering, Ruby's pale flesh yielding to her touch as her hand found the small of the girl's back, just underneath her loose shirt, enjoying the feel as she stroked along her spine. Ruby's breath caught slightly in her throat, and her body carefully arched with the touch, her toes stretching out and her lips parting ever so slightly. Cinder nudged her with her cheek until Ruby turned away slightly, just enough for her to place a kiss underneath her ear, and then another along her neck. Ahhh... Her neck, so venerable, so beautiful, her downy flesh just begging to be bitten.

Cinder held her thought away, for now, though, and instead gave Ruby a nice little nuzzle back.

"If you die, I'll kill you," Cinder thought aloud, prompting Ruby to laugh and give her a little nudge.

"That so? Maybe I will just to spite you," she retorted, and Cinder gazed at her, her eyebrow rising with amusement, even if her expression questioned the validity of Ruby's statement. Ruby's eyes shone with some hidden light somewhere in the darkness, sparkling with her emotions as they shared a moment of pause. It was Ruby who closed the gap, as it had often been lately, and she moved close and pressed her lips square against Cinder's. The Maiden could feel a small hand tugging her closer by the neck, wrapped around the back of it, fingers dancing slowly. They both closed their eyes and enjoyed the feeling of one another's presence, the deep settling rightness of their place at each other's side, the surge of dedication that came when they parted. Cinder thought back to her life before Ruby, and wondered how she'd ever managed without real love.

It was like having an endless basket of pick-me-ups to draw from whenever she needed one. She truly was no longer alone in her emotions, for Ruby was there to set them right again, to offer that caring hand, the will to change what she could for the better. If that wasn't just the pinnacle of Ruby's personality... Their foreheads touched, and Ruby's eyes cast downward, looking over Cinder's body, her hand trailing from the back of her neck and over her shoulder, down between her breasts, lower, and then back up under her clothing. It danced along her stomach, wrapped firmly against her hip, and pulled her close, pressing their lower bodies together and making Ruby bite her lip.

"Dangerous," Cinder whispered, but Ruby's eyes flicked to hers, and she said nothing. Her legs squeezed one of Cinder's thighs, and the Maiden sighed softly, running one of her hands through her lover's hair.

"I'll be quiet," she promised, and Cinder slowly grinned in her humor. Would she, now? There was something exciting about the prospect of holding her to that, trying to force her to test her convictions, remain silent... And while the thought aroused Cinder, she knew to try something like that would be foolish. A golden opportunity, maybe, but that would just be asking for it.

Still, the moment wasn't lost on Cinder entirely, and with a small deal of courage, she moved her hands, one finding the curve of Ruby's backside, and the other pressed two fingers to her navel. She emulated legs, "walking" her fingers up Ruby's stomach and carefully letting her hand slide over one of the girl's breasts, prompting a low escape of air from those rosy lips as she reacted, wiggling up against Cinder's body, a slow, rolling motion that spelled out her pleasure.

Cinder's lips found her neck, but they gave way to her teeth, and she bit harshly against her lover's throat. Ruby had to cover her mouth, or risk breaking her vow of silence. Her other hand had settled to Cinder's thigh, squeezing it in return for the feelings she was given. Cinder decided to be sly, and ever so slightly parted her legs, affording Ruby a perfect opportunity to attack... But the Huntress' fingers played slowly along her leg, as if debating the prospect, and Cinder chuckled internally. Then they would take this slow.

The Maiden pushed her body against Ruby's and rolled them off their sides so that Ruby was below her, she arched her back in a predatory manner as one of her hands slid up Ruby's arm to capture her hand, draping her head low for a gentle kiss, which Ruby returned with enthusiasm. There was no room for anything more than a deep romantic urge, even Cinder's sadism had been put to the side for this moment, and they both felt it, a strange electricity that filled the air and made Cinder feel as though there were no amount of grinding she'd be able to accomplish in order to feel her body was close enough to Ruby's. The small amount of distance that hung between them as Cinder crawled over her eventually became too much to bear, and she lowered her hips against Ruby's, pushing them together as her back arched and her chest rose upward. She held herself there with both hands by Ruby's head, and looked down at her with that one predatory, sexy eye, her mussed, waving raven locks spilling over the other half of her face and the paleness of her shoulder where her shirt hung low about it.

Ruby admired the curves of her breasts from her vantage below, but Cinder was pinning her hands underneath her own, and she couldn't touch... Being denied the pleasure somehow made it more sensual when Cinder's thigh wound between her own, and she pressed it between them, catching the lump in Ruby's throat as she swallowed hard to avoid moaning.

Perhaps this would be a more difficult task than she'd expected... Cinder's eye showed the signs that she'd detected that hint of weakness, and her gaze trailed lower, he hands running smoothly along the flesh of Ruby's arms, and then to her sides, trailing down to her waist where Cinder pushed her shirt up and eventually over her head. Discarding it to the side, she was treated to a scene of her lover bare before her, her arms over her head, the light blush that had spread over her body lending a rosy tint to all the right places, her slightly lengthened hair splayed about the white sheets and soaked them with the splash of red from their tips; once more Cinder felt overcome with the urge to paint, the beauty of her body... So instead, she took the fingers of her painting hand, and brushed them carefully against Ruby's flesh. A stroke here, and a stroke there, and Ruby's soft reactions, her light sounds as those fingers slipped over one of her nipples... She bit her lip again to quiet herself, and Cinder continued her masterpiece, painting with Ruby's emotions as her hand gingerly touched the girl's stomach. She slid her palm flat, moving upward and cupping the curve of Ruby's rib-cage, her thumb trailing ahead and prodding gently to the underside of her breast when she reached it.

One of Ruby's hands finally reached out to stop hers, and instead the Huntress pulled her in, reaching around behind Cinder, low, first to squeeze half of her backside but then as her hand moved upward, she helped Cinder out of her own garment, leaving her in nothing more than her bra and underwear, the pair of her luscious breasts threatening to pop out from the small thing. Ruby eyed her hungrily as she usually did, and Cinder smirked, sitting up, giving her a better view. One of her hands disappeared behind her back, and Ruby watched with glittering eyes as she unlatched her bra, letting her breasts themselves do the rest, they spilled forth enough that the piece of cloth fell around her waist, and Ruby plucked it from its placed and tossed it to join the growing pile of clothing they seemed intent to continue adding to. This left them both in nothing more than their panties, and Cinder took immediate advantage.

She leaned lower over Ruby, and placed one hand back to her chest, her fingers spread, her hand sliding over her shoulder as she carefully pressed their chests together. The little noise Ruby made filled her heart with affection, her adorable partner shut her silver eyes tight and moaned softly as the warmth of her silky skin poured all about her smaller body. Cinder pressed closer, and wiggled until Ruby's legs spread to her sides. She wrapped them about Cinder's waist, and pulled her in, practically forcing Cinder to do what she'd already planned to and shove her body up against Ruby's core, pressing her hips against the girl's sex and letting her feel the anticipation of something more.

Light beads of sweat began to appear on Ruby's body, so Cinder decided to get on with it, and rolled her hips hard into Ruby's body, using both hands now to toy with her breasts as the Huntress bit down on a knuckle to keep herself from making too much noise. Really, they were inside, so something small wouldn't be too much, but Cinder enjoyed her lover's conviction anyway. Besides... The noises that did escape, small mousey things... They were cute, she thought, and leaned down to drag her tongue slowly over the perky end of one of Ruby's breasts, the hand it had replaced instead playing along her cleavage, to her shoulder where it rested. Ruby's own hands, once Cinder had moved in close, began to wander over her shoulders and neck, toying intermittently with her wavy locks, or gently rubbing the back of her neck.

Cinder sucked softly at her lover's breast for a moment, until she let it out of her mouth with an audible pop, and slowly made her way northward until her lips could meet Ruby's again. This embrace quickly became special, the Huntress squeezed her thighs to Cinder's hips and wrapped her arms all about her shoulders, pulling her into a loving embrace, all at once Cinder felt as if Ruby surrounded her. Her heart throbbed with want, and their kiss deepened as Ruby's tongue suddenly slid into her mouth, dancing with her own and complimenting the warmth that grew between them.

For Ruby, having her Maiden over her like this, the heat, the intensity... She was dripping wet with her need, now, and they could both feel it, Cinder aware of a light scent that hadn't been there a few minutes ago. She gave a small chuckle into the kiss, and doubled her efforts into it, taking control as her tongue slid deftly about Ruby's, coiling with it. She placed her nails along Ruby's side and dragged them downward, leaving tiny strips of red where she'd scratched.

"Mmmn!" Ruby's moan vibrated their mouths and she squirmed, Cinder repeated the motion but this time more lightly, gingerly scraping her with the barest of scratches, more teasing her flesh than anything.

The effect was enough, Ruby was easily melting into her hands, and before long she thought it the right moment to dip one of them between Ruby's legs, pressing carefully up against her crotch, slipping over the cloth of her undergarments, as damp as they were.

"Cinder..." Ruby whispered, finally breaking the kiss and turning her head to gasp sharply for breath. It didn't stop Cinder's mouth at all, though, and in the absence of lips they found instead the corner of her jaw, nibbling along it and going for more of that lovely plane of porcelain just below it, biting once more at the flesh of Ruby's neck. She shuddered, feelings coursing through her mind, her absolute adoration for everything Cinder was giving her now, and more over, her love for everything she'd done for her. Her hands clutched her Maiden tight against her body, but she struggled not to let out a string of louder noises when something pierced her body, penetrating deeply into her womanhood, two fingers, searching and rubbing at her. Cinder's eye was nearly closed, the barest hint of that golden gaze catching what little light drifted in from the window, and Ruby wrapped one arm about her head, resting her hand on the back of Cinder's neck as she pulled her closer.

"Yes... Please..." she pleaded, and Cinder could only oblige, working her fingers in and out of her lover's ever tightening body, she clenched over those digits as her thighs crossed, making it a little harder for Cinder to move but she couldn't stop the reaction. Ruby's toes curled, and Cinder grinned in triumph, not letting up, determined.

Evidently, though, as the pressure grew and grew in Ruby's belly, she became increasingly more hungry, more desperate... It wasn't enough. She wanted more. She wanted Cinder to feel it too. She reached down between them and grasped Cinder's wrist, gasping softly just as her fingers finally found that most sensitive spot within her. But she stopped her lover, and pushed her hand away, causing Cinder a pause of confusion and she leaned back to give Ruby more room to move. The Huntress growled at her playfully as she rolled them again, and Cinder, now on her back, propped herself up as Ruby positioned herself so their legs were woven together again. But this time, the aim seemed clear, and Ruby pressed her cute panties square up against Cinder's own, rubbing their folds together through their thin clothes. She sat roughly in Cinder's lap, though their bodies couldn't get too close without ruining the angle.

Experimentally, Ruby pumped her hips a few times, and watched as Cinder's face froze in that stoic way of hers, eye closed, she knew she was feeling it. Another motion as she humped slowly against her lover, and a sharp puff of breath came from Cinder's nose, another sign she was enjoying it. Ruby's hands reached out and carefully draped over her lover's shoulders, she rolled her hips once, twice more, and watched with pleasure as Cinder's lips barely parted. The Maiden was holding herself up with both hands behind her, but her legs squeezed tighter about Ruby's thigh as she fluidly moved against her lover's body. Their mutual wetness was obvious, their fluids seeped through their garments and mingled between them, a sticky dampness that wasn't all unpleasant... However Ruby stopped for a moment, parting from her lover. She removed her panties, unwilling to soil them further, and took the opportunity to help Cinder with her own.

She reached over where Cinder lay, now holding herself up on her elbows, watching coyly as Ruby slowly wiggled her panties down her legs. The proximity allowed for her lips to come into play, and she placed them gingerly against Cinder's thigh, kissing down to her knee, then nibbling back up. When she neared the woman's sex, she licked her lips, and then pressed a kiss right to her core... Having already explored here before, she knew just where to go, and flicked her tongue slowly out against the sensitive button just above Cinder's entrance, prompting a heavy sigh from the Maiden as she lay back on the bed, a hand falling over her forehead as her other one wound its way into Ruby's lovely hair.

The Huntress lapped enthusiastically at her Maiden's blushing folds, savoring the taste on her tongue and closing her eyes slowly. Cinder was stroking her hair now, making breathy noises of love for her, an orchestra of affection just for her. In this moment, they were the only two on this planet, together, the outside world was gone, and they swam in the sea of sheets and chemical emotion, a constant undulation of small movements and sudden jerks in time with the pleasures they received. Ruby's attentions weren't without their effect, and slowly that tension built within Cinder, while Ruby's tongue tasted her juices as they flowed freely. What a needy little Maiden, she thought, and decided to be a little mean... She slipped one of her fingers inside of Cinder and tested her waters, rubbing the tip of her digit along the sensitive inner walls of her lover's sex. Her tongue wound against it, as well, and between the two there was no real resistance she could mount. Cinder's body went tense suddenly, and she wriggled involuntarily as her first orgasm came to her, the light moan that Ruby received for this more than enough reward as she hummed happily while Cinder tugged at her hair.

The Maiden panted slowly as Ruby finished cleaning her up with her tongue, and then came up to join her again, the afterglow evident on Cinder's face while Ruby smiled brightly. Cinder brought one hand up to her own hair as she caught her breath, eye closed, the feeling of one of Ruby's fingers trailing over her chest as the girl drew invisible patterns on her skin.

Once she had caught her breath, Cinder's eye opened and looked over Ruby's face, she seemed to be wearing that little warm smile she always had when she was truly happy. As fleeting as the feeling would ultimately be, Cinder hoped she held onto it, for it was a precious relief, an island in the sea of their turmoils.

When she finally felt rested enough, after just a couple minutes, Cinder turned back to Ruby and sat up. She pulled the girl's legs toward herself, causing Ruby to roll onto her stomach and press her thighs together. Her cute bottom was irresistible, and Cinder found herself squeezing it, even as she moved behind Ruby. She slid that hand lower, and lifted Ruby's leg, then higher, playing into her flexibility while Cinder slid up behind her. She pushed their folds together again, holding Ruby's leg up over her shoulder, pressing against her from behind.

Ruby lifted herself onto her elbows and looked over her shoulder at the busty Maiden while she humped slowly at her hips. She gasped, the hot feeling of their naked folds sliding together causing the ache to build inside of her. Her hands pulled at the sheets, curling into fists as Cinder picked up her pace, crushing their cores together with a pressure indescribable, thrusting their hips together and causing the bed to begin creaking lightly with the force of her movements.

Ruby kept looking back at her, that powerful woman, her breasts bouncing lightly as she worked her hips hard, forcing Ruby to moan and choke it back to keep from adding to their already dangerous level of volume.

It was only a few more forceful shoves until Ruby felt herself slipping, and she shuddered into her own orgasm, a quiet but high-pitched squeal issuing from her lips, drawn out by the fact that Cinder wasn't stopping. She kept going, kept pounding their ports together, pressing her favorably toward another peak. One of Cinder's hands, the one helping stabilize her leg, raised as it was, slid along her flesh as though Cinder were playing a string instrument; her other hand was locked firmly over one of Ruby's buttocks, but the surprise came when her thumb ever so carefully started to slide between her legs. The added stimulation, coupled with the renewed pressure of Cinder's own sex against hers, forced her into submission as she shuddered harshly into a second orgasm, joined only a moment later by Cinder's own as the two of them moaned together in their mutual pleasures. Cinder shoved herself hard against Ruby and held it there, letting that sticky sweetness build between them until they were both slick with the stuff. She slid against her a few more times, enjoying the feeling of those fluids between them, before she finally parted, and fell to Ruby's side, exhausted once more.

The Huntress pulled herself over and rested her head against Cinder's shoulder. The two of them lay there, breathing slowly normalizing, fingers laced with one another's, Ruby smiling that gentle smile.

"Will that help you sleep?" Ruby whispered softly into her ear, and Cinder chuckled lightly.

"You always do," she answered, and then pulled Ruby into her arms, resting her Huntress' head on her chest, and her own chin on top of Ruby's hair. She closed her eye, and it wasn't long before she drifted to sleep, her dreams of nothing far more preferable to the alternative.

 **[Author's Note: Fweeee~ I always love chapters like this. It's like, now back to your regularly scheduled Cinder/Ruby guilty pleasure romance. XD so cute~ waaahh... ~3~ so, now we know why the picture for this fic is a red butterfly. If I was a little better at art by now, I would draw the scene of Penny's partially destroyed body leaning against a tree near Summer's gravestone at sunset. In my head it's a very interesting picture. Anyway, this chapter originally wasn't meant to be a lemon, but it kind of evolved out of the deeper romantic connotations that this chapter had. I ended up liking it a lot.** ** _A looot_** **~ So I hope you do to. I was thinking about it, and I'm unsure if I can classify this chapter as smut, because to me while it is sexual there's very little that's dirty about it at all. So clean, so nice~ That one's for you Kharaki XD]**


	27. Chapter 27: The Path

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 27: The Path**

Tick tock...

There went the clock. Again and again, beating its rhythm, echoing through the offices. But in this room there was a slower rhythm...

Tick tock goes the clock...

Velvet sighed heavily as she repeated the phrase in her head, a rhyme she remembered hearing often in her childhood. But it wasn't the metronome of the office clock that was itching at her brain, it was the slow and methodical heartbeat of the human lying on the sofa before her. Velvet hadn't left her side since they'd brought her back, and the faunas still hovered over her from the chair near her head, a worried expression knitting her eyebrows and casting a melancholy tone through the air.

Weiss had came and went, stopping briefly just to lean on the door-frame and watch her leaning over Yang. Earlier that morning, Qrow had come by, told them he'd found Ruby and Cinder, told them he would help in the plans. The men had all withdrawn to the board room upstairs to discuss the plan, but that was ages ago...

And still the clock ticked.

Velvet held Yang's hand with both of her own, and her knee wouldn't stop bouncing in her worry. But she knew that soon if she let her anxiety build, she would be without redemption, she would surely fail in her attempts not to cry, or worse. It hadn't been evident to her until she'd seen her friend lying there, bleeding in the street, but she needed them, all of them around her, to feel safe, to truly be safe. But how selfish of her? Here Yang was, risking life and limb for her protection, the protection of many of her people, in fact... And here she was, selfish, in need, wanting to see Yang back on her feet again, as fiery as ever. Fighting for her, so she didn't have to. Velvet hadn't wanted any of this...

Tick tock, tick tock. The minutes were passing and there was no sign of Yang waking up. Her bandages needed constant changing, but Velvet had already just done that, maybe five minutes and she was already back to wanting to pull her ears out of her head. She didn't even know the full extent of what was going on, still, but her mind had no time to even worry about Atlas. Not with Yang here... She sat up, and placed her hands in her lap.

A few deep breaths, and she felt a might bit better, her face loosened, and she sighed once more. If she knew where that clock was, somewhere out there in the office, she might have ripped it from the wall by now. But as it ticked, and as she breathed, and calmed, everything slowed into a gentle, silent melody, and there the beautiful Xiao Long girl lay, her spilling blonde hair cascading down, along with Velvet's envy of such gorgeous locks as her eyes trailed along them. Oh, they would be wasted so if Yang didn't pull through...

She wondered quietly to herself what had caused all of this. She remembered the posters on the walls outside. Atlas seemed to be after many of the Huntsmen, but that Cinder woman was everywhere... Hmm, she thought, what a curiosity. For Ruby to pick such a person over all others, it just seemed... Well, it seemed just like Ruby, really. And yet, she had to wonder, alone in this break room as she was, just what it was that pulled those two closer together. A gravity all their own.

It reminded her of something... And that ticking. A rhythm, a metronome, perfect for the song in her head.

"It's funny," she said out loud, but soft as a rabbit, scooting her chair closer. Her hand reached out, gently touched the curls of gold washing over the cushions, ran them through her fingers as she spoke to herself, considering Yang's position.

"I used to think you were practically invincible," she said, and then paused, her whole body still, save for one of her ears, which bent slightly.

"How foolish of me, I guess."

Her tired eyes trailed across the room and over her shoulder to the one whom had caused this. They had tended to Jaune's wounds, as well, but they gave him even less of a chance to pull through due to his condition. They had put him on a makeshift bed, more like a pile of linens, and his limbs were tied up with planks of wood. Splints, the best they could do seeing how Yang had shattered him in many places. She sighed yet another time, so full of them today it seemed, and she looked back to her fingers, staring at them, watching how Yang's hair played with the light as she toyed with her locks.

"That Cinder woman... I hope your sister thinks this is all worth it. I don't. I hate fighting... I hate war. I hate, well... Hate. But I just have to wonder; you know?" Her fingers trailed along a strand of hair until it reached Yang's forehead, and her fingers slid slowly over it, brushing the hair from her face. She looked so peaceful, unconscious as she was...

"No wonder, no wonder," she began gently, reciting the lyrics that came to mind when she thought of that rogue couple, out there on their own. Star-crossed lovers, were they? Or was it something else? Did Ruby like her lips, or her hips? Was she in love with Cinder, or just the idea of that Cinder? Strong, powerful... Burning.

"Other half..."

Her fingers slipped along Yang's cheek. Did Ruby know about her sister's sacrifices?

"Strange steps, heels turned black..."

She supposed she looked like a fool, out here, singing to herself. But what else could she do? Velvet knew there wasn't much more to be done but wait...

"The cinders, they splinter,  
And light the path... of these strange steps..." she chimed, wondering about the woman of the same name. Was this song about her?

Her voice trailed lightly through the halls until it died away, just as quick as it had come in the silence, and Velvet with sad eyes and a long face, ran her thumb slowly over Yang's slightly parted lips. They were soft, and yielded to her touch.

"Take us back, take us back..." As she finished the verse, she leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss to Yang's waiting forehead. She hoped that a gesture of love could cause a miracle. The poor girl needed all the miracles she could get in this time of such great need. She didn't fault Yang for hurting Jaune. She couldn't. She had witnessed the whole thing. Maybe this song was about her?

"Flow sweetly... Hang heavy..."

Elsewhere, Cinder slowly woke as something prodded her ribs, then again, before a soft fingertip began poking at her face, and toying with her nostrils. What the hell was that...?

She batted Ruby's hand away, and shot her a groggy, tired, and mostly upset glare. How the red-tipped girl was so energetic already was beyond her, but she found Ruby waiting expectantly at her toes, leaning over to wake her, then sliding to the edge of the bed and grinning over her shoulder like some kind of mad carnival clown.

"What? Why wake me?" she asked, her voice cracking in its sleepy state, her voice box had it bad enough without having to combat the morning's restfulness. They needed all the rest they could get, though, so unless it was important, she was ready to flip back over and lay down again.

"I just thought that maybe you'd want to see this," she said, and bounced once on the bed, using the internal springs to spring to her feet. She stepped to the door and simply opened it, standing to the side triumphantly. At first, Cinder was confused, but it took only a few seconds before her ears twitched, bristling as they began picking up the faint noise of something beyond the portal.

It was like a dull hiss, but as she listened, it clearly became evident it was something more distant, and more like a dull roar.

"What is that?" she asked, and Ruby merely gestured through the doorway, so she got up, clad only in her underthings, and stepped through. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, but as she shuffled toward the window, and peered out of it, she realized just what was happening.

Outside, in the city, the streets were flooded with people. The survivors, no doubt, of the Atlas occupation, and each and every one of them seemed to be stark raving mad. The crowd pulsed like a heated mob of seething hatred, they were vandalizing the properties all along the concourse and painting the Atlas vehicles with all manners of profanity.

It built like a snowball rolling down a hill, but Ruby had leaned around her to watch that smile slowly begin to spread over Cinder's lips. Seeing such sheer chaotic bliss, it was just too beautiful to her... She couldn't help but grin like the wicked madwoman she was. Ruby was right there enjoying her lover's happiness all the same.

"Thought you might like that," Ruby chuckled, and Cinder placed a hand on her shoulder, rocking her once back and forth.

"This is..."

"Amazing? I know. I have no idea what caused it but it's a full blown riot out there! Earlier I watched one of their armored cars pulling out because they were throwing fire all over it! The Atlas troops are on the edges of the crowd from what I could see through my scope, but there's not too much they can do to contain it without real violence... Oh, I really hope it doesn't come to that..." Ruby's eyebrows furrowed, but Cinder contemplated.

Of course an unarmed mob was dangerous but it was nothing against a well-placed firing line. Ruby's face went from excited to upset in a mere moment, as was typical.

"I don't care either way, though. This is perfect!" Cinder replied. What was it to her if a few more townsfolk were gunned down? What she cared about was the significant damage they might cause, give them an edge, maybe even take out a few of the guards... This was all about the greater good, for her, stopping the source of the bullets, not trying to stop the bullets in mid air. The casualties would be what they were, but... This put them in a perfect position, with the Atlas search postponed...

"I bet Qrow has something to do with this," Cinder said, but nearly jumped out of her own flesh when a nearby voice replied to her.

"No, I didn't," Qrow stated from where he stood in the corner, and Cinder bristled, becoming suddenly hyper-aware of her lack of clothing. Agitated, she covered herself as best she could with her hands, and stormed into the next room, mumbling under her breath. It was too fast for Ruby to really react, but she gazed after her lover, faltering for words.

"Cranky as ever," Qrow stated, and took a swig from his flask. Had he been watching them?

"Come on, Uncle Qrow... Drinking already? How early is it?" Ruby chided, and he rolled his shoulders at it dismissively.

"Early enough for a drink," he said in reply.

"But I sure can see why you like that one, now," Qrow stated and gestured toward the room that she'd shared with Cinder the night before. Ruby blushed quickly at the thought, while Cinder's body was a plus, there was far more that actually attracted her.

"Sh-shut up!" she stammered back. She would have warned her lover if she'd known Qrow would appear when it fancied him yet again, but she wasn't used to his odd approach just yet. This war brought out strange sides of everyone. She glanced back to the doorway.

In the other room, Cinder was rummaging through the dusty closet of whomever had owned this home, searching for some clothes she could use, something that wasn't the same outfit she'd been in for nearly a week now... Lucky for her, despite all the men's clothing, she still managed to find some dresses and things. Seemed like somebody hadn't failed at taking a wife.

However, the clothes were all needlessly feminine; lacy things, surely not suited for somebody such as herself. And too small, they were, her womanly curves wouldn't fit such flimsy things... She finally resorted to searching the back of the closet, pushing passed some of the clothing to step into the large space, coughing slightly with a cloud of dust that roiled up from below. She waved her hand before her face to clear it, and looked around.

More of the same clothing hung from the bar of wood crossing the closet's length, but underneath that, near her feet, she could see a few boxes laying lazily and half-lidded. It seemed to her that whomever had rushed out of here hadn't quite finished taking their belongings with them.

She stooped, using one hand to push the clothes away from her face, and lifted the lid of the first box. There were mementos, little things like precious stones or foreign currency. A photo of the previous occupants, covered with enough dust that she couldn't make out their faces; she didn't want to, anyway, and cast the thing back into the box, then set it aside. The second one seemed less disturbed, and when she opened it, far less dust came up to meet her. In the dim light, it was hard to see, but from somewhere inside the box, her eye was drawn to the barest hint of luminance. She shifted a heavy album out of the way, and blinked her singular eye when she saw the outline of a pistol resting neatly over a piece of cloth, partially folded over it as it lay in the center. This place told a story of it's occupants, now that she thought back, they were rushing so quickly to comply with the officers of Atlas that they'd not even had time to grab a weapon and conceal it... They'd probably had to leave it out of safety, not wanting to be shot simply for being in possession of the thing. She reached out and ran her fingers along it to see if her eyes were reading the shadows correctly, and she wrapped her hand about the grip.

It was solid, weighty... As it should be. But when she moved it, the light from before caught her eye, and her amber eye went wide.

Beneath the pistol was a far more potent weapon.

With her thumb and forefinger, she slowly pinched the cloth and pulled it up out of the box, dangling it in front of her face as she rotated it about in the darkness gingerly. It caught what little light there was with small glittering pulses of a reddish orange; the intricate pattern sewn into the bandana was unmistakable to somebody of her persuasion, and in wonderment, she took it, and the gun, and retreated from the closet. She set it on the bed for now, and returned to seek out clothing, finally settling on some of the man's clothes that wouldn't seem too conspicuous. A simple pair of jeans, a tighter undershirt for a shirt, and a heavier leather jacket, brown. It almost seemed like maybe it was an old airship pilot's jacket, with a fur lining and a patch on the shoulder, but she didn't bother checking to confirm, instead she shook the dust out of all of these things and borrowed a pair of underthings from the dresser across the room where the dust couldn't reach them inside the drawers.

Once she was dressed, she concealed the dust pistol inside the jacket, and folded the bandana into a band, tying it around her wrist. For a moment, Cinder stood alone in the master bedroom, and stared at her wrist and the piece of cloth as it pulsed with its odd light. It seemed warm, and the glow worked its way through the cloth like dew on a spider's web; she could feel the Dust woven in, the natural fire that coursed through the threads, calling her, begging her to summon it forth...

It had been months since she'd seen a piece of Dust cloth, and she was lucky enough to find it imbued with her natural element, even if it was the most commonly useful. Fire...

Her mind flicked back to the riot outside. Could this be her stroke of luck, finally coming to a head? She decided it best to conceal her weapons in case Qrow was still around, and she stepped out of the room to find Ruby watching out the window with crossed arms and an upset look on her face.

It had been a few minutes since she'd left, but Cinder felt a pang of regret for having left her alone with her unbearable Uncle for more than a few seconds. It was obvious he was starting to get under Ruby's skin, and judging by how quickly he'd shut his mouth at her timely appearance, she could only assume he was prodding Ruby about herself, perhaps more than he probably should. She shot him a one-eyed glare, which prompted Qrow to glare back, but she returned to the window to check on the progress of the riots outside.

Some of the crowd had gathered together and began to chant anti-Atlas slogans. It was like a dream... The people were finally giving themselves a voice, at least those who weren't sympathetic with the invaders... None of them spoke, the three simply watched the people, tried to pick out what individuals were shouting.

"I hope you two are ready for tonight," Qrow began after the silence had sat in place long enough for his taste.

"We've got the plan ready. Looked over the rabbit-eared girl's photos. She had enough there to plan a bare-bones assault on the main Atlas compound..." Cinder's ears perked up if only to hear the pertinent information. They hadn't expected to hear that, though, and both Cinder and Ruby looked at one another knowingly. They were going to be called to fight alongside the others, they were sure.

"Your role is the usual one, Ruby. Your rifle will be needed. Cinder will be your spotter, and the two of you as a team are to infiltrate anywhere with a good shot on the central plaza. If you can do that, you'll know what to shoot at. The others will be relying on your covering fire to get in and do what needs to be done. Their target is Honeydew. She will be giving a speech, probably, no doubt to broadcast to the rioters and for her people inside so when this is happening, we will strike. Use the confusion to our advantage, and hopefully take her down. If you can get a shot on her, then it's going to be your job to take it. Got that?" Qrow stared intently at his niece as he stepped closer and explained, and Ruby's face wound up in a great deal of concern when she began to understand what Qrow was asking of her. She was supposed to shoot other people, now... Other humans. Just like her. For her sake, though... Qrow kept it completely quiet that her sister had taken a beating. It would make the difference with this emotional little one, and he knew that.

Ruby swallowed hard, enough that Cinder noticed it, and her own worry spread swiftly across her face, but it was wiped clean a moment later and back to neutral by the time she looked back to Qrow.

"Understood. I'm assuming you have some kind of signal to start the attack?" Cinder questioned, and Qrow nodded.

"The signal will be done by Weiss. She's got her fancy Dust-saber, she'll be setting the first attack off with that. When you see the Dust, you go." The Maiden nodded at him, and reached for her Huntress' hand, squeezing it. They could do this. They had to. The timing was too perfect to ignore such an obvious advantage. Ruby's eyes sparkled with hidden doubt, however, watering with the thoughts in her own mind. Qrow didn't linger, he gave them a half-hearted salute, or something like it, and stalked out of the dusty room to leave the two to their devices. Cinder was quick to touch Ruby's cheek and turn her gaze to meet her own.

"It's okay," she said simply. It was something she didn't believe herself, however. Ruby didn't buy that, though, and her eyes watered even further.

"No... None of that..." Cinder kissed her gently. It didn't do much to stop her emotions, but it was enough to fight back the tears for now. She didn't want to kill anyone, Cinder knew that, but Ruby's pacifism was misplaced... Now wasn't the time to be getting reservations about the fight on their hands.

"If you have to, for your own sake... Dehumanize them or something. They're no better than the Grimm who hunt us. They are animals, coming for your family, to butcher them and eat them. Whatever it takes to let you squeeze that trigger. It will be needed..." But the way Ruby was looking at her pained her heart, asking her to go against her nature like this... Cinder bit her lip. There wasn't going to be any killing, not by this one, she knew it already. Ruby rarely went for a lethal shot, except on the Grimm. But maybe just wounding the enemy would be enough? It certainly had stopped Cinder before, opening a big hole in someone's shoulder was a great way to put them down...

Ruby, though, succumbed briefly to her fear and leaned against her lover, as she seemed so fond of doing, hiding her face between the curves of her breasts and shying away from the world, her arms wrapping about Cinder's waist and hugging her for comfort. It always managed to surprise her, even if only a little bit, but Cinder wasn't sure if her surprise came from the suddenness of Ruby's emotions, or her lack of reservations against the touch. Normally, if it were anyone else, she probably would've pulled their tongue out through their teeth for that. But for Ruby, it was different. She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's back, and pulled her in, giving her that little bit of comfort she needed to continue, just like Ruby had last night for her, making her sleepless night something wonderful, a memory to be treasured, that feeling of sheer affection she'd never felt before in her life...

"Everything will be fine. We'll cross the bridges when we come to them. I found something in the closet," she decided to mention, even if it was only to give her some hope; she held up her wrist and pulled back her sleeve, revealing the cloth and its laced Dust pattern as it pulsed about on her wrist.

"Is that...?"

"Firecloth," Cinder interrupted in a darkened, amused tone, and nodded with a small smile. The corners of her mouth hinted at the wickedness within her, and Ruby's tiny little reaction caught Cinder's undivided attention.

"Cinder!" Ruby gasped unexpectedly, and slapped her gently on the shoulder, more to get her attention at the seriousness of her claim than to hurt her.

"You are not burning down Vale, Cinder," she stated sternly, and for a second Ruby's expression seemed serious, but faltered completely when Cinder responded to that by turning her eyes up in thought as though she were deeply considering the subject.

"Cinder!" Ruby shouted again, a shrill note, shoving her, but the Maiden merely laughed and tugged the Huntress in by her wrist, for another hug, tighter than before. She clutched Ruby in an embrace, even nuzzling the top of her head; Ruby, completely disarmed, wasn't sure what she was angry about any longer. It was always so difficult to read the Maiden...

"I'm only pulling your strings, darling," the Maiden breathed softly along Ruby's ear, and the shudder she got in response for her breathy words made her chuckle once more. Was she really so easily turned to mush? Perhaps it was that seductive tone that seeped out of her naturally? She supposed messing with Ruby was all fine and good, but she shouldn't relax here too long with her own pleasantries... There would be a whole lifetime to screw with the girl's emotions, if only they could get out of this dirt-ridden hellhole and back into their proper home. Her heart lamented for that life she'd been promised. She needed it back... And the look on Ruby's face as she slowly realized Cinder was only trying to make light of their dark situation pained her even more on the inside.

"So, are you ready?" Cinder asked as she gazed down to Ruby, her face upturned and chin resting between her breasts. Ruby sighed softly, accepting the return to the topic at hand, but without answering.

She didn't object or acknowledge, she merely turned back to the window, and placed her hand on the edge of it, watching the roiling crowd of people down below. She waited in silence, and as the mid-morning sunlight showered the front of her form in a light bluish glow, Cinder's eyebrow rose, drinking in the contrasts to the darkened half of her body that faced the dimly lit room.

The flood of different subtle shades of color, it was all enough to have her mind wrapping around what it might take to paint that picture. Ruby finally turned to her, breaking her little trance with her words.

"Let's go."

 **[Author's Note: Ahh, I love that song.**

 **So, this was a short chapter, and I appologize. But it was going to be both this bit plus the next bit which deals with the riot and the assault, however I'm in a bit of a writing slump because my art has been going so well, so I thought since I haven't actually done a shorter chapter in awhile this would be fine for now so ya'll could see what I did have at least and not have to wait so long for more. As it stands I mostly have everything finished plot-wise on this story, I just have to write it with all the details and such, so don't worry your pretty little delicious heads over more... considering this is already going to raise my total chapter count D:  
**

 **When I'm done with this story, I'm going to focus my efforts for stories entirely on my original concepts and not fanfics; however, good news everyone! I'll be posting extra chapters on the end of this story as bonus chapters, which will be entirely SMUT. Heheh... So I'll at least still be writing the good parts ;D  
**

 **And you may be wondering; is he shipping Yang/Velvet?! Well, the answer is no... At least, not canonically to this fic ;) I'm hoping to eventually be able to draw some of the scenes from this story and perhaps upload them somehow so you long-time readers can see them as well and the scenes which they are related to. But that's all a long process and stuff and I'm still developing my art style as a beginner, even if it's looking good! So don't expect this any time soon, but it is definitely on the menu for the future. If I somehow become a comic god overnight, I'll even turn this story into a (probably better-presented, shorter, and less sexual) storyboarded comic, maybe, although that would be without full color most likely as a curious little side-project.]**


	28. Chapter 28: Out in the Street

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 28: Out In The Street**

Ruby felt it was a great thing that her design for Crescent Rose's successor was even more compact than before, because without being able to fold it down into a basic rectangle-shaped piece of machinery, they would have undoubtedly drawn attention. But for the remnants of Vale, one girl with a collapsed weapon was far less of an attention-grabber than it could have been, especially out in the middle of the riot currently in progress. Cinder and Ruby were capable of slipping out of the building carefully and slowly, they were lucky that some rambunctious group of rebellious citizens had overturned a car right in front of the building. It sat on its side, and provided adequate cover for their exit.

From here it was a matter of blending into the crowd, because they absolutely had to get closer, however the throbbing mob of citizens had consolidated at the inner compound's gates and were now provoking the ire of a few soldiers who stood behind a low barrier, literally beating citizens off of it who tried to scale it. Ruby winced as one of them was impacted in the jaw by a heavy hit to the face with the butt of a rifle, and Cinder grabbed her by the shoulders and turned away, not wanting her to see the fact that the man's face was practically hanging in place now that his jaw had been broken, blood oozing from the sliced cheek he now dealt with.

There were certain things that this Huntress just wasn't meant to see. A picture of a dead corpse was one thing, but the image of someone alive and still suffering... Cinder shuddered to herself, but pushed Ruby along against the crowd that they now found themselves a part of. Everywhere about them, people were shouting, the roar had grown into a cacophony that echoed from the buildings and sent a shiver through the street; they could hear the sounds of intermittent breaking glass and the crunching or whining of metal as a car was upended from its resting place and flipped onto its back like a turtle incapable of righting itself. Cinder's hand naturally wandered toward the hilt of the pistol that she had tucked underneath the jacket she now wore. She prayed she wouldn't have to use it any time soon, but she felt that maybe this was foolish thinking... In the thicket of bodies and voices, there were those that were even more unruly than the masses themselves, and in order to get into position, they had to push through the throng and onto the side roads.

Briefly they passed a group of angry Faunas, a couple of which Ruby recognized as former Beacon students in their first year that were deposed of this status when the school had been overrun. They were shouting, perhaps more violently than the rest, at the soldiers by the side of the road. Slurs were being slung back and forth between the humans and their group, amidst it all a girl in a maroon hoodie, with feathers all along her head, was doing something down below by the feet of her friends, helped along by a gorgeous fox-eared girl. It was hard to tell what exactly they were doing, but the ridge of feathers on the cockatiel-Faunus' head were standing on end, clearly agitated, and the fox by her side occasionally looked over to egg on the other students or shout insults at the rest of the company of troops. Her accent was thick and her dialogue colored in slang, Cinder recognized it as a sign of Mistralese heritage, from a very rough part of the world. To make matters worse for the soldiers, the girl's golden eyes flicked to blue; a clear sign she had use of her Semblance. Those soldiers were going to have their hands full with that girl. A perfect distraction for them to slip by, in fact, and as they wormed their way through the bodies, Cinder's eye began to scan the horizon for signs of a good place from which to shoot.

"They aren't going to kill these people, are they?" Ruby asked cautiously, and Cinder gave her a stern look over her shoulder.

"It doesn't matter now if they do or not," she said, having to really strain her weak voice to be heard over the crowd. They had already piled bodies in ditches in the Red Zone, so why would it matter if a few more civilians were shot along with them? What mattered is breaking the Atlas hold on their territory... And to do that they'd need to cut the head off of the snake.

The hotel that had once served as a tourist attraction for the very same Atlesian people just across the street from the inner wall seemed like a perfect building to set up their little fire support mission, and if Cinder was correct, which she usually was, the others were already getting in position to make a move on the inner compound. They couldn't see them, or hear them, especially not with the riot growing in intensity as the mob mentality of anger took over, but her internal clock was screaming at her to get a move on. Cinder pulled Ruby along by her hand, keeping them attached so they couldn't lose each other in the throng.

But luck wasn't on their side, for when they approached the building, they found it guarded at the base by many an Atlas soldier, they were keeping the assets of the wealthy in tact from the voice of the poor, from what she could guess. Looting was already occurring elsewhere, but they knew where the real money was, she was sure of it, and a wealthy client could fund an army. A hotel owner seemed to fit the bill. Cinder ran her memory and her critical analysis of the situation together, her eye darting here and there as they stopped at the base of the building.

"What is it?" Ruby asked, and Cinder tipped her head toward the guards, taking a second to shove a drunk away as he nearly stumbled into her. This riot was bringing out the worst people... She wasn't enjoying it anymore. Ruby made a noise of protest as the mass of churning bodies got to her, too, people bumping into her left and right as they stood there, so Cinder pulled her in and against her body, inclining her face upward. They could scale the building without going inside, possibly, but they'd need somewhere to do so unseen...

The alleyways were guarded.

She looked down at Ruby, who's face was written with a cover of uncertainty, and discomfort, and her heart wrenched while she was reminded simultaneously of exactly why she needed to get this over with. For all of the work she'd done to try and remove the pesky innocence of Ruby's childish nature, it hadn't gotten her very far at all, and her instinct to protect this girl with her life was flaring, scratching at the back of her mind.

"I'm going to need your help with this one," she said softly, trying to sound somewhat endearing, placing her lips near Ruby's ear so she could hear her better.

"You must use your Semblance to get us onto that roof. We're going to find a jumping-off point for that, okay?" She leaned back to give Ruby her most serious look she could manage in the moment, trying to seem confident, even though the fear had begun to work its way under her skin. Luckily for her, Ruby nodded, and gave her a small smile, which set her right mentally and bolstered her for the task at hand. Together they made their way back along the street, and around to the side street that led toward the back of the building. She figured if the main entrance was guarded, as were the alleys, the back entrance would be as well, however... Floating above it all, like a petal in the wind, now that could work...

They finally broke free of the main thick of the crowd, and Ruby's eyes lingered on a pair of girls laying on the sidewalk, one atop the other, the two of them with lips locked and hands wandering. She thought it rather strange; among the whole of this violence, there seemed to somehow be a light of affection shining through for those two, a Faunus on top of a human, interracial couples were rare but to see one herself brought a sort of strange warmth to her heart. Cinder noticed her gaze and followed it, but grimaced and tugged her along roughly. They had no time for lolligagging or staring at girls making out, as appealing as that sounded. They were running out of time to be at the ready.

Her objective became the hardware store that was centered near the corner of the hotel, and it looked just tall enough to get them to a second building nearby, a ballet studio with residence apartments above the lobby. Cinder had correctly assumed that some of the shattering of glass they'd heard earlier had been the hardware store, and together the pair found it rather open by virtue of the glass windows in the front being completely smashed in. It was clear that the rioters had looted the place for supplies with which to riot furthermore; axes were missing from their berths, hammers, even the work gloves were missing. The whole place was mostly devoid of stock save for anything that wouldn't be immediately useful like shoe polish or fishing lures.

Along and among the empty aisles they hurried, Cinder had released Ruby now as they stalked toward the back of the building.

"Wait, hold on!" Ruby shouted, and stopped to stoop and pick up something from the floor. She stood up, clutching a ballpeen hammer in her hands. Cinder's eyebrow rose, but her smirk said it all, maybe it'd be useful?

The moment they were in the back room, the scene changed, and Cinder's artistic mind took a slight note of it. From clean carpet covered in craft material and glass, to dusty, dingy, and disrepaired back room just like any other stockroom they might find in a given building. She'd always found it so strange, the stage that these people set up for themselves, to make everything look pristine when it truly was not. It was unglorious, it was dirty, and the world itself had always been that way, so why bother?

Her eye scanned the mass of boxes and shelving units, until she spotted what they'd come for: an access ladder to the roof lie just behind a piled heap of unceromoniously stacked stock, whomever had done their job had done it rather wrong, and the heavier objects on top of the lighter ones were slowly causing Remnant's gravity to give way and crush the things underneath. And, just their luck, there was a lock on the access hatch.

"Ruby, give me that hammer," she said, looking over at her charge, whom graciously proferred the requested item into her waiting hand.

"Rrrah!" Cinder shouted, a breathy, broken noise, as she simply slammed the boxes until they move out of her way enough that she could reach the ladder. What a lovely fire hazard that could have made... When she was finally on the ladder, she offered a hand to Ruby and pulled her along so she could get to it too without much hassle, then set about climbing the thing. The lock was large, and she knew that a simple hammer wouldn't get rid of it... She handed it downward, back to Ruby.

"Cover your ears, I'll have to shoot it," she said, and Ruby looked at her with confusion. Cover her ears? Her hands were on a ladder! Improvising, she looped her arm through one of the rungs and let her elbow be her anchor, pressing both hands flat to the side of her face. Cinder simply grit her teeth, drew her weapon, and blasted the lock off with a single, loud, ringing shot. It deafened her, but she would get over it, and as the ringing in her ears throbbed and bled, she rammed the hatch open and climbed onto the roof.

It was a marvel how good the breeze felt just a few feet up from the road.

"Come on," she said, hurrying Ruby along. There wasn't likely a chance that the shot had been heard because it was in an enclosed space and there was so much noise outside, but just to be safe she didn't want to hang around. Or Yang around, maybe...? She smiled to herself at her stupid joke, anything to get her mind off of the fear that loomed over her head. This mission was suicide. The moment they fired from that building, Qrow was asking her to deal with a full compliment of armed soldiers, on a rooftop, with nowhere to escape to... She pushed it from her mind.

Didn't Raven say she was the only one capable of really doing this?

"There," she said, pointing to the top corner of the ballet studio.

"If we go there, do you think you can make it to the hotel?" she questioned Ruby, who's trained eye gauged the distance in an instant, and nodded. For a sniper, she sure had a lot of room to grow in the worldly deparment.

"Good. I'm... I'm very sorry about what might happen up there, Ruby. I just want you to know that." A grim silence fell upon them, goaded by the wind, as her words slowly sank in to Ruby's mind and she understood more about the gravity of the situation. She was being asked to put a round through the head of somebody she didn't even know enough about to truly hate. What if that lady, Honeydew, what if she had kids or something? A life? What if she was just trying to-

A heavy hand landed on her shoulder, and Cinder shook her gently.

"Hey, Red, I need you to focus. Fo... Cus. Don't think, just do what we came here to do." Her hoarse voice fell on Ruby's thoughts, like a blanket covering a flame, and for a moment she faltered, but steeled herself, and nodded vigorously. Cinder crouched slightly and turned her back to Ruby, extending her arms to the side.

"Get on."

Ruby blinked, but soon understood what she'd meant, and allowed Cinder to piggyback her by climbing onto her back as Cinder latched her arms around her legs. She let her own arms encircle her neck, and hugged to her tightly. It was an intimate hug, Cinder knew, because of the way that Ruby's cheek pressed to the back of her neck... But, while it did soften her face from a scowl to a small smile, and she closed her eye for just a moment, the feeling was fleeting and the moment ephemeral... They had to do this.

Just like before, she began to levitate them slowly but surely toward the next rooftop. It felt painstaking, to be so venerable, hanging in mid air, visible to anybody who had the audacity to so much as look up... She could even see the hotel's back door detail from here, but much to her surprise, the didn't see her. She blamed their stupid helmets blocking off their periphrial vision, certainly a massive design flaw, but was the person whom had developed them as smart as her? Doubtful. Another smile graced her lips at her internal jokes. It was what would carry her through today, other than Ruby.

Once they had reached the next roof, they alighted gently upon the rough, plastered surface, stained with water marks trailing toward the drains on the side, a reminder of the rainy season that hadn't plagued them for some time, but would very soon as spring reared its head. She let go of Ruby, who climbed off of her, and they both looked toward the hotel with expectations reeling in their minds.

"If you see a place to do this thing, you tell me," Cinder croaked, and Ruby nodded, her brow furrowing as she became a bit more serious, which Cinder felt grateful for...

"There!" she cried, and pointed. Just three floors from the top of the building, there sat a balcony, and a row of windows, the sure sign of a penthouse suite, as the others jutting out above it seemed to indicate when there was a distinct lack of balconies anywhere else on the building. It would do better than anything else they had, since nobody had been nice enough to leave a window open for them...

Briefly, Cinder ran to the side to gaze down at the crowd, and check on things. The group of rebellious Faunus students were chanting in unison about their rights as a people being trampled by Atlas, while the angry human majority continued their onslaught of directed violence against the Atlas gates and their vehicles. The soldiers were starting to build in tension, she could see more of them striking civilians, but from here, she could see over the wall...

Inside the wall there were structured lines and rows of people, all standing in one massive formation. It looked like some kind of military parade, but while they were organized, they were talking amongst themselves; a head bent this way, someone leaning that way... They weren't at attention. Before them stood a stage, and upon that a podeum; behind it a massive screen glowing with the Atlas emblem of a gear and a spear. Gears and spears... Poetic, but all together horrible.

"Okay... I don't see them yet. So now's our chance. We need to get to that roof, and quickly. Think you can handle that, Rose?" she questioned, and looked back to her lover. She'd been checking out the angle of their path, and slowly nodded with a hand on her chin. Ruby seemed somewhat uncertain, but Cinder stalked up to her and grasped both of her hands.

"You can do this. You have to," she said, and Ruby, though she blushed at the sudden confidence, nodded once more, this time with much more conviction.

"I have to," she repeated, and her eyes became sharp, just like they needed to be right now, those beautiful silver things...

She grasped Cinder by the waist, and tugged her roughly against her smaller body. Now it was Cinder's turn to blush... What was she...?

With a quick motion, Ruby swiped Cinder's feet out from underneath her. Despite the startled and hoarse cry, though, she caught her in her arms and cradled her lover like a bride, despite the protests that began to issue from Cinder. She was... Rather heavy, and so, not wasting time, the Huntress ran full speed toward the edge of the building. With a sudden burst of speed, and a fluttering of rose petals, she launched them both from the roof and toward the balcony... But it was so far...! Such a gap, she knew she wasn't going to make it the moment they took off!

She threw Cinder as hard as she could, which had the effect of the Maiden tumbling over the side of the guard rail. Ruby, instead, fell short, and was barely able to clamp on with her sweaty hands to the iron of the bars. She quickly slid down, and painfully rotated her wrist, crying out and prompting a bewildered Cinder to scramble on her hands and knees to grasp her lover's arm. She pulled her up, slowly, carefully, but the damage was quite obvious... Ruby's wrist had taken quite an amount of force, and it pained her to even move it slightly, she hissed with every inch she climbed over the top of the balcony.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought..." Ruby began when she was finally aboard, but Cinder silenced her with a press of a finger to her lips.

"You did splendidly," she said simply, though her awareness was on the streets below again. It seemed their little failure hadn't been noticed. Luck seemed to be playing fast and loose today. She wondered to herself if Qrow was nearby, she was pretty sure Raven had mentioned at some point to her that her brother was the most unlucky person on the planet...

Cinder briefly checked to make sure that the Crescent Rose II was still attached to Ruby's backside. It was. A good thing, no doubt, for without it this whole thing would have been a pointless endeavor. She took a moment to cradle Ruby's hurt wrist in her hands, checking it for serious damage. A sprain, surely, but it appeared as though it wasn't broken, even if her tendons might be damaged for the rest of her life... Barring her Aura healing them somehow.

"N-now what? Fff..." Ruby asked, hissing as she pulled her hand away from Cinder. The Maiden looked around them. There were no other balconies on this floor, the only other was above them... But from here, she could get them the rest of the way.

"Now it's my turn to carry you," she said, and hoisted Ruby up in her arms in the same manner that the Huntress had to her a moment ago. Ruby's heart felt the impact of this scenario... She enjoyed it, emmensely, being cradled like this, and she curled into a ball around her wrist as she pressed it to her chest and leaned her head against Cinder's breast. Her heart was positively pounding... Poor girl, she thought, and hoped that this would be over soon. The Maiden had to call upon the power of the Dust within her small bandana in order to propel them the rest of the way up the building, but with a quick burst of intense flame and heat, they did just that, leaping first over the side and then shooting upward until they cleared the roof. A second, smaller jet of flame pushed them over the edge so they'd land on the roof and not plummet into the alley.

Together, the two of them tumbled forward and spilled onto the roof. She hoped nobody was underneath them, in the room atop the stupid spire of money mongering that was this hotel. Cinder righted herself. The wind blew just as gently, even up here. Now, everything suddenly seemed peaceful, despite the hissing roar in the background of the rioting below... The sky stood above them. She finally had a moment to breathe, and both of them did, together, as they clambered to their feet.

"Give me your scope," Cinder ordered of Ruby, who brushed herself off and did just that, retrieving the box-like condensed form of her weapon and unpinning the scope, sliding it from its rail. She handed it over, and Cinder took it, looking through it like a telescope, aiming it down to where their target would be. The podium in the inner sanctum of the Atlas compound was well guarded, that much was certain, and it took her only a few seconds of peering over the edge of the building to duck back and grit her teeth when it looked like a soldier had been about to look her way.

"All right... We can do this," she muttered to herself, a whisper, and she fanned her hand to signal Ruby to come to her...

Coco bent over, panting, as she rounded the corner of the path she'd been rushing along. For all of her strength, lugging the heavy suitcase of her weapon along had really proven to be a chore, but Raven didn't care. She stepped leg over leg in front of the fashionista, her air of superiority dripping from every pore along the skin of her legs. She'd shed her usual armored appearance for something lighter, for some reason, but they walked along the mountains like something waited at the top of the tallest peak... However Coco's frustration had built and built. Normally, she was the one in charge, taking things seriously, calling the shots... But somehow she'd found herself under the heel of this person, and it was insufferable.

Raven cast a stoic glance over her shoulder to make sure Coco was keeping up.

"Can't you move any faster?" she wondered aloud, and Coco grit her teeth at the question. She wasn't one to beat around the bush...

"No. Fuck you," she spat, and Raven's eyebrow rose. A little fight in this one, huh? It had to be crushed right away.

"Don't give me lip. I'm tired of it already," Raven stated, and narrowed her eyes as she spun about to face Coco.

"Your skills are worthless. The only reason I saved you is out of curiosity... So prove to me you're worth it," she said, just as Coco hunched over to catch her breath, which caused her beret to slide from her head unceremoniously and flop languidly upon the dirt path.

"I didn't ask for you to be so kind," Coco stated in response, and glared right back at Raven, straightening up, "what the fuck are we here for anyway?"

Raven smirked at her, as though she knew everything, and stepped closer, circling Coco as she rested her hands on her knees, sweating. This lady obviously had no idea what Coco was dealing with right now... Her body was beaten and battered and broken and bound, how was she supposed to function enough to meet the standards of her savior if all Raven was concerned with were results, especially if she didn't even know what she was working toward?

"Stand up!" Raven commanded, and with her sword in its scabbard, she smacked Coco's calf hard enough that it brought a tear to her eye, but she stiffened, rigid, and shot upward.

"You're a Huntress. Act like it!" she shouted, and Coco grimaced. She wasn't in this line of work for the soldiery, that was for sure!

"One real mistake and I'll end you," Raven muttered, and ran the length of her scabbard up Coco's thigh, then her side, all the way to her chin, lifting it. Her gaze regarding Coco meticulously. Coco panted, sweating harder now that her life had been laid on the line so blatantly. Raven tipped her head to the side slightly.

"You're strong, right? I brought you here to do me a favor," she said, and then began to walk once more, the dirt path gave way to wooden steps, coated in equal parts with the same dust that the path offered their feet. Together they continued onward, and the path bent around the face of rocks on their left, until they came upon the end.

"There. Move it," Raven stated, and pointed to the large boulder that sat in front of a cave entrance, it was obvious, but so out of the way that she'd have never found it by chance... What could be inside? Coco frowned, but she did as she was ordered. There wouldn't be any escaping, this woman had her by the balls, so to speak, and she was at her mercy considering she'd have rotted in an Atlas jail cell without her.

"Fine," she sighed, and dropped her suitcase with a thud into the dust, which roiled around the heavy thing like smoke from a cigarette.

 **[Author's Note: Yay finally got around to publishing this chapter! I was really stuck on how I wanted the second part to go, it was either going to be more on the topic of Cinder/Ruby's current deal but then I found inspiration to write Coco of all people in the form of my anxiety caused by a certain someone who keeps PISSING ME OFF.**

 **There's also a few hidden song references in here, I wouldn't call them quotes, but if you happen to know the song maybe you'll catch em? I don't think any of you will but if you do leave a comment about it XD**

 **Anyway, so the two Faunus ex-students that Ruby recognizes are interesting... They are cameos! The bird-girl is Psitti Rouge, my RP character, and the fox she's with is her friend and sort-of-love-interest, Nym Magenta! I got permission to use Nym as a background character from her RPer. One of the reasons I haven't been writing this fic so much is because I started to RP again after like 5 years of avoiding it, and honestly, I remember exactly why I quit in the first place. The Coco piece is derived from my feelings about a certain super-shitty admin on the RWBY-RP site. If any of you are interested in writing WITH me instead of reading my stuff, though, you can join RWBY-RP! Just google it, you'll find the site! They have a Discord, too, where you can find me if you just wanna chat or something in PMs even, but if you're lazy or just don't wanna do that, my Discord is Yonder#9700. Just be careful if you do decide to join the site because said shitty admin is around and he'll ban your ass at the drop of a hat if you give him a "reason." Sadly this has already happened to a few people I liked... But if any of you are also writers, I'd really love to RP with you! That would just be grand :]**


	29. Chapter 29: Dead Dungeons

**Falling Cinders, Chapter 29: Dead Dungeons**

Cinder leaned against Ruby's back, her ample breasts tight against her slender form, and the Huntress could only focus on what lay before them. Cinder was hugging her from behind with one arm around her waist while she rested the very tip of the barrel of her gun on the ledge, making sure nobody below her could see the protrusion of her barrel. For now, she waited, and the girl let out an unsteady breath while Cinder scoped out the enemy with Crescent Rose's sight, detached for her use, held in one hand and providing her with all of its advanced range-finding capabilities. It wasn't hard to plot the drop, there was little to no wind. Ren had picked his timing well.

All along the farthest wall from where they stood on the rooftop, the White Fang resistance gathered, a small force of a handful of men and women ready to lay down their lives for the cause. The liberation of Vale... The revenge they sought for the slaughter of their leader. Yang wasn't yet among them. She had to wonder why. Yang had been the one leading from the front since her friend had died, and yet the fiery blonde was nowhere to be seen, but...

Her thoughts were cut short as a sudden fanfare of music shouted at her senses from behind the wall of the inner occupation zone. She grit her teeth, and the resulting roar from the crowd of angry citizens seemed to nearly drown out the first few words that were stated by the man whom had taken the podium in the middle of the compound. He wore a shining suit of the finest armor, covered head to toe as an Atlas soldier should be in his own glory, and he bent slightly to speak into the microphone.

"People of Vale, loyal subjects," he muttered, his voice deep, stoic, "today we bring you a special occurrence. The one and only Mistress Honeydew herself will now deliver a speech to her newest territory. Give her your most sincere welcome!" His gruff proposal was complimented by the slap of his hand as he slammed it against the corner of the podium's surface, the metallic thump from his gauntlets against wood was lost on Cinder and Ruby, for while they could hear his voice clearly over the projected audio, they were still quite a ways away, safely perched on the rooftop. Cinder lowered the scope to the railing on top of the Crescent Rose II, and slid it into place until she heard it lock to the ready. It automatically readjusted to Ruby's preferred settings, but where her weapon was sure, she was not.

Cinder could feel it. Ruby's heart was pounding. She was biting her lip. She was anxious. She was afraid.

Along the perimeter wall they watched the White Fang agents spread out, a small detachment of four just around the corner from the Atlas guards at the gate, whom were practically knee deep in their rioters while they waved their guns and flashed their lights in warning. Among the crowd, the situation was growing tense. A chant had begun among the small group of ex-Beacon Faunus students, something akin to a call for freedom, and Cinder had to smirk, for this grand distraction was somehow timely enough that they might just pull this off. Her thoughts raced, she looked down at the gun pressed between Ruby's chest and her arms, and she leaned forward, and steadied her lover by placing her fingers over Ruby's own. Her mouth neared her ear.

"As soon as I say, you pull this trigger," Cinder whispered in a serious tone, and Ruby swallowed the knot in her throat, and nodded with a shaky demeanor. Cinder knew what that meant. There would be hesitation... There would be doubt. In front of them and far below, along the stage, a sudden cheer errupted from the crowd while an elderly woman walked across the platform. She was wrinkled, but not overly so, wearing a small hat with a flower on the side and a cheerful smile. Her dress was cut and tight and periwinkle; she could have been anybody's grandmother. Ruby's finger tightened on the trigger, but Cinder recognized this not as a sign of readiness, but as one of uncertainty, for Ruby was no longer invested in the murder of such an innocent seeming individual.

"Wait for her to start speaking," Cinder commanded, and exhaled slowly along the shell of Ruby's ear. It made her shudder slightly at the feeling, but she drew in her shaky breath, and let Cinder be her pillar, steadying her from behind.

...

Elsewhere, a dejected girl in glasses groaned with exertion while she pushed at the heavy steel door. Beside her sat the boulder she'd just moved, and she was tired already. Together with Raven, Coco was attempting to shove open a bulkhead that nobody in their right sense of body should have been able to heave apart from the rock walls that it blocked off, stuck in between what might as well have been the two sides of a mountain and underneath one proper in the first place. It had budged only a couple of inches, and even with Raven's help, Coco was finding it difficult to move the massive steel door. That is, until her Semblance finally kicked in. With a sudden urge she felt from her overexertion, her Aura buzzed around her feet and her arms were flooded with a sudden strength the likes of which many men didn't know, and all at once they began to force the door along its rollers and out of the way of them both.

"Wh...why the fuck... Didn't we just portal in?!" Coco grunted while she pressed her shoulder up to the bulkhead to push it. Raven scoffed with a swipe of her head from left to right, spitting on the ground in the same motion with an audible noise and a roll of her eyes.

"Can't portal to where nobody is," she said simply, and Coco grit her teeth, shoving harder not only to make sure this worked but also to relieve some of her sudden annoyance with this lady who'd saved her from certain doom. Her arms STILL ached, anyway, which only made this all the more difficult. When they'd finally had it wide enough for the two of them to walk through, they stopped, and slipped through the small space they'd opened for themselves, Raven finally grinning, her face looking mischievous in the dark framed by her billowing hair and those gleaming red eyes. Before them was a hallway that led to a single room, and on the other side of that room was a single pane of glass, the room's lighting made that clear, however it was apparent that it was pitch black beyond that transparent threshold... But Raven had an inkling that she knew what was on the other side. For once, Raven prayed. She prayed she was wrong about all this...

...

"Citizens of Vale!" cried the voice of Mistress Honeydew over the loud speakers that surrounded the inner compound of Atlas' base among the inner city.

"Today is an historic day," she went on to say, to which Cinder rolled her eyes. What a stickler for grammar, she thought, but furthermore, what made it any more historic than any other day for her?

"Today Vale will finally be free," she said, her voice like a shout that drowned out even the crowd below them, "today we celebrate the official annexation of Vale in to the greater Atlas Empire! Today, you are all citizens of Atlas!" The crowd in front of the podium began to rile with excitement. The supporters of this regime change. The real traitors. Ren and his men moved out of sight behind the wall. They were in position. She had the range. Ruby had the skill. The Red Huntress was breathing so very hard.

"It's okay, just wait," Cinder reassured her, and placed one hand on the other girl's forehead from behind her, stroking over her hair a few times to calm her. She took a breath to steady herself, but this wasn't easy. She had sworn she would never kill someone... Unless they were pure evil.

"Today we announce our plans for the consolidation and repopulation of Vale. Today, we come to you to tell you that Vale has been selected for our immigration program. Soon, denizens from all over the world will relocate here and reclaim the abandoned buildings to use as their homes. We will expand the perimeter wall of our clean little compound, and soon, all will be right... again." The way the last few words fell off her lips had Ruby on edge. Did this lady think that all of this was normal? She'd seen the bodies. This was one giant lie... She had to take this woman down. She just had to... But could she?

"Together I look forward to us establishing a peaceful and productive Vale, one that provides to the world at large, and can sustain not only itself but its sister nations as well. For the glory of Atlas!" There was an echo of the phrase through the crowd as they all responded to her in kind. Outside the wall, the crowd grew restless, a sea of people all anger and pulsating like a mass of gelatin, and it became clear to Cinder that perhaps they didn't have the kind of time to act that she had hoped for. On the far side of the compound, Ren, Nora, and the White Fang were ready.

As if it were some divine answer to her problem, all at once there came a scream from the crowd below them, and with a violent burst of light, fire suddenly erupted all around the front gate of the compound, consuming soldier and civilian alike with its volume; and Cinder's eye opened wide. On the ground, the Faunus students from before were hurling canisters of Dust and bottles of flammable liquid at the Atlas soldiers, who could only respond with violence as they opened fire on the crowd of innocents, scattering them as people were gunned down or devoured by fire, the roaring insults from the Faunus crowing over the din and noise of gunfire and shouting.

It was now or never.

On the podium, the commotion had brought a pause to the elder woman mid-speech, and the confusion from her audience had her right there with them. There was no way of knowing, from her side of the wall, just what had happened. But Cinder's finger squeezed over Ruby's, and together, they fired that fateful bullet.

The crack that issued from her rifle was louder than any of the ones the Atlas were turning on the civilians below them, but it still was drowning in the rest of the cacophony, and Ruby closed her eyes at the flash of light from her barrel. She couldn't bear to watch, but Cinder's eye remained on their target, and with the distance they'd taken, it took a full second before it impacted Honeydew straight in the head, and she collapsed with the hollow sound of the direct hit. Cinder blinked once, but then grit her teeth. She grasped Ruby by the arm and pulled her away from the ledge roughly.

"Come on! We've got to go, NOW!" she croaked in her hoarse voice, and together they fled over the side of the building and into one of the rooms of the hotel, Cinder uncaringly breaking the glass of a sliding door to do so. Luckily for them, nobody was inside, she figured they must either all be out on the street with the rest of the common folk, or perhaps the hotel had closed down during the riot. The scene of Honeydew taking a bullet played over and over in her head, even as the assault began and the sounds of gunfire renewed twofold... But something wasn't quite right...

...

A frustrated Raven slammed her hand into the console. As if to finally agree with her, the lights flickered on in the chamber that the window overlooked before her, and she gasped and slowly stood upright, Coco, at her side, put her hand over her mouth. Down below, and all along a large warehouse-like enclosure, there were lines of crates and containers marked with Atlas markings, but from what Raven remembered, there was no more a sinister sight. Each one of the containers, she knew, was filled with that same black sludge she'd seen before in the other warehouse by the docks, and this place, hidden away inside this strange bunker, had even more than the other facility held. But it wasn't the containers that disturbed her so deeply... It was what was behind them that gripped at her heart and threatened to curl her lip into a snarl.

Lining the back of the warehouse there stood an army, rigid like statues, like a gathering of clay soldiers, or some kind of sick art display. Her assumptions had been correct... But it was worse than she had feared. This plot of Neopolitan's resonated through her brain and she could almost feel it when somebody, somewhere, smirked a delightful little smirk...

...

Running through the hotel lobby, a desperate Cinder had drawn the pistol she'd found and began putting it to use. The small gathering of soldiers that had opposed them before fell to the floor full of holes under her deadly aim, taking them by surprise wasn't hard with their attention diverted to the fighting in the street. Rebellious citizens had taken the chance to rise up during the speech, and were now engaged in a brutal exchange of weaponry that turned the street into a field of bodies and flying pieces of metal; those unfortunate enough not to make it to cover before the crossfire began lay strewn about the asphault and along the sidewalks. Some wore Atlas uniforms, but many did not. The earth shook as an explosion rattled the area from the far side of the compound, Ruby recognized it as most likely originating from the White Fang, and elsewhere further out, she was sure Weiss had seen it. She would be here soon...

But for now the two women became occupied with keeping themselves in one piece, Cinder directing Ruby out the door of the hotel and along the side-street away from the main compound gate. While the former students still flung firebombs at the soldiers, they remained distracted, and she intended to use that distraction to her full advantage. Once they were clear of the immediate fighting, they jumped the wall. Inside the compound, there was more chaos, Ren and his men had pushed the gaggle of enemy soldiers into a ball of resistance near the stage, the podium now vacant save for a collapsed corpse lying just below it. It was over swiftly, without much of the ability to prepare, most of the men were quickly shot or dropped their weapons and surrendered. Those that had made it to the buildings still offered stiff resistance, however, taking shots at any and everyone who moved. Several of the White Fang hadn't made it, but they still had a force to rival the remaining defenses. The Atlas vehicles parked sporadically about were the only real source of cover for the Fang, and after realizing that they stood no chance in the open, they withdrew and retreated into the buildings themselves while Cinder formulated her next step, leading Ruby to crouch behind one of the APCs.

"We've got to find Neopolitan," she said to Ruby after only a moment of hesitation, but Ruby could only blink, her lips parting in a bit of surprise.

"Do you think she's even around here?" Ruby questioned her, and Cinder grit her teeth. There was no way to be certain... But Cinder went with her gut instinct, and the darkness within her throbbed as pain shot through her chest. They had to find Neo, and soon, because whatever she'd done here was about to be revealed, and Cinder didn't like it when somebody else held cards in their hand that she wasn't sure of. Her fingers floated to the pocket of her jacket, where her mother's necklace lay, coiled in a lump of chain, and Ruby placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, nearly cut off by a burst of gunfire from somewhere nearby behind them.

"I'll be fine. Let's keep moving," she said, and stepped around the corner of the building they'd been peeking from. They ran across the courtyard and to the stage, Cinder brandishing the pistol and sweeping it around at the Atlas survivors to make it clear that if they intended to stay alive that they wouldn't reach for the weapons they'd dropped, and she stepped onto the stage and skittered toward the podium.

The noise of her frustration and rage prompted Ruby to follow after her a moment later.

"I fucking knew it!" Cinder cried, and Ruby looked on with a confused expression, to which Cinder kicked Honeydew where she lay, but it became obvious why she was angry the moment she did. Instead of a dull thud, the kick caused a metallic ring, and Ruby circled around Cinder to look down at the woman she'd thought she killed.

A large, twisted hole gaped open her forehead, but inside was only the metal of a machine, the same kind of wiring that they'd seen inside of Penny. Honeydew, at least this one, hadn't even been alive in the first place.

"Wait... Cinder!" Ruby called, and pulled the Maiden back a few steps, away from the carcass, and with good reason. The machine's arm raised toward her, its head eerily split open and yet it turned to face them. In the one eye that wasn't shattered by the bullet, Cinder could see it, that same light that she'd seen from the other android's when it had acquired them as a target. She raised her pistol, and put a round through that eye, the crack echoing about the walls as the Atlas soldiers who'd surrendered began to jeer at her.

They told her she didn't know what was coming. They said they may have lost the battle, but the Vale rebels would lose the war. She shut their mouths with a couple more shots, cold, uncaring as they fell limp to the ground, ignoring the protest that Ruby had for her, her cries falling on deaf ears as the world around Cinder spun with her thoughts. What had happened? Where was Neopolitan? They'd come here to cut the head off the snake, in a matter of speaking, and they'd accomplished nothing. And to make matters worse, despite her best efforts, the machine by the podium was still moving.

Without much of a head left, it lurched toward them, its audio circuits emitting an awful broken screech, which made sure that Cinder snapped out of her trance and took a step back. She fired at it again, but it didn't work, still the machine crawled toward them, and it began to leak a thick, black ichor from its neck where one of her shots had penetrated. Just the sight of the liquid itself made Cinder's chest ache and her stomach turn, and she shivered in fear once more while Ruby tore her from her spot and ran with Cinder off in the direction of Ren and his men. They had to get out of here. They had to alert the others.

Spilling through the double doors of Vale's central courthouse, now turned into the headquarters of the Atlas regime, they were nearly plugged by a jumpy White Fang soldier until Ruby shouted for them not to fire. The Fang men had been ordered to clear the buildings, and from down the hall the sounds of fighting still erupted despite the man holding by the door behind the rest of his team. Injured soldiers of both sides plastered the halls, nursing their wounds, being tended to by the medics the Fang had in their employ, but as they reached the front where the Fang fought to clear the rest of the building, they realized Ren was not among them. Neither was Nora.

Cinder was quick to question some of the men about their disappearance, while bullets flew overhead, but they'd mentioned that they hadn't seen them since they'd entered inside, and headed up to the offices upstairs. Ruby grew worried by this, but Cinder was certain there had to be a reason, and so with Ruby they left the men to their fight and fled back toward the entrance where a staircase waited. Once they had climbed the stairs, though, the reason for Nora and Ren's disappearance became quite obvious, as the signs of a heavy battle scarred the walls, the floor, and in general, made the place look like a hurricane had blown through. Further in they could hear it, Nora's enthusiastic shouting and the sounds of a hammer being swung into various objects. They pressed on after the voice and through the splintered wood, and came upon the scene of a fight that had began. A white-haired woman with a thin sword was clashing with Ren, their blades pressed together as they wrestled each other for control of the fight.

Nora was busy chasing a man with a metal arm, but Ruby's presence brought pause to the fighting, a sudden lull while the opponents cast glances her way.

Winter broke from her engagement with Ren, backing off with a smooth leap that landed her on the other side of an overturned table.

"Winter!" Ruby called to her friend's sister, but Winter only glowered at her with ire in her eyes.

"Ironwood!" Winter cried, and the man retreated away from Nora just in time to miss a massive ground-shaking blow that shattered the floor, and he pulled up alongside his comrade while the two Atlas leaders regrouped. Ren dove out of the way as Ironwood began to open fire with his huge revolver, forcing him and Nora into cover while Ruby and Cinder watched, the former in a state of confusion. For Cinder, there was no confusion. These two were just more Atlas pawns.

"Cinder, how lovely of you to finally join us," Winter's words came, and she simply walked over while James held his gun trained on the other two.

"I take it you're enjoying the change in management?" Cinder asked rhetorically, but the way Winter looked at her sent a shiver up her spine, one she didn't show, of course. The normally icy woman seemed to be positively frigid, like somebody had given her a reason for revenge. James had an odd look in his eyes, as well, like he were ready to tear the flesh from Ren's body with his bare hands.

"We're here to take you into custody," Winter said with nothing short of a callous demeanor, stepping toward them, but Cinder raised her pistol and pointed it right for her face.

"Stop right there," the Maiden said, returning some of that venomous tone, and Ruby gasped.

"Cinder, stop, that's Weiss' sister!" she cried, and the Maiden grimaced while Winter smiled.

"Ruby, this isn't the time for your silly morality," Cinder snapped, prompting Ruby to frown and look back at Winter.

"You don't have to do this," Ruby said to the Schnee woman, but Winter didn't seem to care. She lifted her sword before her, and for a tense moment, the two glared daggers at one another. Ruby bit her lip. Was there nothing she could say to stop them from fighting? Her eyes widened when suddenly James spun around, his pistol pointing their way now, but Ruby would have none of it. In a flurry of red, she was on him in an instant, her scythe spinning to slam his hand up and out of the way, the bullet impacting the roof instead of Cinder's body. The moment this happened, Winter sprang into action, thrusting her sword right for Cinder's eye, but she took a step back and ducked it, throwing a punch for the woman's gut with a step forward. Winter's other hand caught her fist, and twisted it, Cinder cried out in pain as her wrist was wrenched and Winter pulled her close, driving her knee into the Maiden's stomach. She was able to stop the blow just in time with her Aura, though, catching her knee near to her own body, and giving a great shove, throwing Winter back. She stumbled twice, but righted herself, just in time for Ren to join the fight. With Ironwood's attention diverted, he'd sprung right into action without a moment of hesitation, while Nora looked on with a confused expression. Who, exactly, was on who's side here, now?

Coming in from above, Ren attempted a sneak-attack by driving his dual blades straight down on top of Winter's head, but before he reached her, something hit him in the side and sent him careening off course and toppling to the ground. Ironwood had picked up Ruby by her weapon and flung her into him, his inhuman strength as he clenched his robotic fist rather clearly outmatching the smaller Huntress in close quarters. Cinder opened fire with her pistol, but the shots simply glanced off of James' Aura, which flared something fierce as he stalked ever closer toward them. As if possessed by some driving force, he began an advance, soon flanked by Winter, while the fighting came to a momentary lapse once more and the opposite sides stared each other down.

"Winter, why are you doing this? This is where your sister lives!" Ruby tried again, and Cinder sneered, knowing full well that something that simple wouldn't work on somebody with a zealous drive like Winter's.

"Ruby Rose. You have been charged with high treason to the New Vale government, as well as aiding a known criminal and Maiden. That goes for all of you. May the Glory of Atlas see you forgiven," she said coldly, and drew her saber up once more by her face. A sudden glowing glyph appeared below her and she shot forward with surprising speed, only to be matched and met half way by a frustrated Ruby, a flash of steel glowed from them when their blades met. Ruby broke contact and shifted backward, dodging the first swipe of Winter's sword, swinging her scythe about her waist and bringing the blade to bear against her in a flurry of blows, but it was no use. Winter deflected each with a practiced skill, and put a thrust forward that very nearly caught Ruby in the chin, but she leaned backward to avoid it, straining her neck. It was enough that she fell backward, but she activated her Semblance and shot away to right herself. She'd bought just enough time for the others to engage, and next, Nora moved in, catching Winter unawares with a sudden vicious strike to the ribs. It launched her backward, but while she was busy using her glyphs to catch herself, Ironwood filled in the gap. By now, Ren had joined, and side by side he and his lover exchanged blows with the large man and his crushingly powerful arm, he fought them back with some semblance of ease, his hand-to-hand prowess giving him an edge once he could separate the two from one another by grasping Nora's skull and flinging her across the room and into the wood on the other side, which shattered under the impact as she broke through, and her Aura shimmered, barely able to keep up with the sheer strength Ironwood possessed.

"Enough!" Cinder called, and all at once an inferno burst from her hands and her eyes. She was ready. She would see this through. Ruby by now had regrouped with her and together they charged Ironwood. Ruby's blinding speed proved more than a match for Ironwood's fists, she swept to his side and let the first swing of his fist slide past her, twisting her scythe so that the back of the blade slammed upward underneath his chin. Knocked off balance, Cinder ducked low and moved up, shoving punch after fiery punch right into his gut, a combination that proved effective while his Aura tried to absorb it. Eventually the final punch broke through and with a cracking of his ribs, he slid backward across the floor. Once more, it was Winter's turn to fight. She noticed with a keen eye, however, that Ren had pulled away to help Nora, and as he fled, she took a careful aim, swinging her saber, which projected a large ball of ice aimed right for him. Distracted by Ironwood, the two girls could only watch while it drifted past them and slammed into Ren's back. He toppled, clearly injured, and his Aura began to shimmer as well, indicating how close he was to defeat.

Whatever they'd expected from these two, Cinder knew that the others were underestimating them. She wouldn't make the same mistake, but she knew... Ruby, her own power, it was at least on par with them. They could at least work them to a standstill long enough to buy the other two some time to recover... Or at least, she hoped.

As soon as Winter had moved in again, she and Ruby squared off with another bout of ringing blades. Ruby knew she couldn't keep up with Winter close-in, and started to dodge and weave, firing shots from her rifle while she picked and chose the correct angles of attack. The thought that burned at the back of Cinder's mind, though... Where were Winter's summons? And she seemed to rarely be using her glyphs... It was almost like this wasn't the Winter she was accustomed to occasionally skirmishing with back in the day. This woman was different... Was she another of the combat robots? Could she be... A machine?

She chose not to let such trivial thoughts drag her out of the now, and dashed forward to assist Ruby by holding Winter back. If they were going to stand and chance, they'd have to wither her down. Both of them...

Fire clashed with ice, Winter using her Dust now, carried through with each slash and thrust of her blade, projecting jagged spikes which were soon melted by gouts of flame from Cinder's fist. Every so often when they had a bit of distance between them, Cinder used the small sidearm she was carrying, whipping it from her belt, then replacing it to keep her hands free. The fighting went back and forth, trading blows, Ruby keeping Ironwood at bay with her superior speed while Cinder focused on removing the threat of Winter's ice. It seemed like they had the advantage playing on their side, but the two quickly caught on and began attempting to cross-attack the other combatant. Ruby spun her scythe in two circles on either side of herself, back and forth, striking out at Ironwood's guard, but the man suddenly rolled backward, grabbing one of the wooden benches near the window, and he hurled it clean over Ruby's head and toward Cinder. Cinder, who'd been on the defensive, was busy ducking and dodging a barrage of icicles launched toward her. She hadn't seen it coming quite in time, and it smashed over her shoulders, flattening her to the floor while her Aura flared back to life.

"Cinder!" Ruby cried and fled to her side in a torrent of rose petals, driving Winter back with a cascade of attacks until she leapt away and bounced a few times on her feet. Ruby helped Cinder up, and they once more faced off against the two.

"This isn't working... We need a plan," Ruby said, and Cinder nodded once, curtly. They had only a second to run the idea through their heads, but Ruby, ever clever, let her eyes search their opponents, looking for weak spots.

"I've got an idea... Ironwood's arm. Follow my lead," she said, but stayed put for a moment, and Cinder slowly came to a conclusion on what Ruby might have meant. She loosened her stance, and stood up straight, gazing along her nose at Winter with a cocky grin.

"Well well, I guess you've improved, Winter... But ice is no match for fire, now is it, darling? Come now, you can't be serious?" She put on her best acting voice for this part, trying to taunt her, to fluster her into using more of her Dust. The woman merely grimaced, and cocked her sword at the ready once more. Ironwood's Aura flared, and he dropped into his own stance... Then the two charged. Ruby went about putting her plan into action. Cinder knew that Winter would come for her, and she planned on it. She stood her ground, feet sliding apart to give her a more solid footing. The moment their enemies closed into range, Ruby shot off like a firecracker. Winter's attack came as planned, a huge amount of ice summoned as if from the floor, and Cinder wheeled about, moving out of the way. Ruby's speed once again caught the slower Ironwood off guard when she suddenly burst behind him, and using her scythe like a hook, she looped it about his arm and spun his heavy weight, shifting his center of gravity so that he fell right into Winter's attack. Her ice froze around his arm, trapping him, though his free arm still caught the close-by Ruby with a solid straight to the left side of her jaw... The force was so much she immediately let out a squeal of surprise, toppling backward and sliding, coming to rest on all fours and panting. For Cinder's part, she lashed out at Winter with everything she could muster, summoning fire and rage and death upon her, creating a swirling inferno all about herself that moved as she did, adding to her furious attacks. She threw a kick for Winter's head, which was ducked, and though the fire that followed it singed the woman's pretty white hair, it did nothing to stop her from twirling about and delivering a sweep underneath Cinder's only planted foot. Rolling with it, she cartwheeled on her hands, springing back to her feet, then rushing forward in a flying punch. She thrust her fist for Winter's heart, and when she felt it connect, she smirked, releasing her pent up energy in one burst, creating something like an explosion in her hand. Winter was sent flying once more, landing opposite Ruby in much the same shape as the young Huntress. Cinder fell to her side, and helped her up much the same as she just had before. Ren and Nora were nowhere to be found, a quick glance confirmed, they'd likely retreated to lick their wounds... But now, they all stood apart once more...

Ironwood shattered the ice with a roar of rage, finally, and turned toward them with an angry visage. Winter, equally riled up, was at his side soon after, and their combined gaze once more stared down upon them. Ruby and Cinder readied themselves for yet another bout, but just as the two crouched to pounce on them once more, a voice rang through the chamber.

"That's quite enough of that," came the familiar sound, and suddenly, Ironwood and Winter froze, their expressions changing from angry to suddenly placid, and they stood up straight, Winter using her sword much like a cane, and Ironwood standing with his arms behind his back. Cinder's eye widened, and Ruby looked around hurriedly. The tapping of boot heels echoed through the halls, closer and closer, and interspersed by the third sound of a cane supporting them. One other set of footsteps seemed to follow the clacking... Heavier... Thumping.

"Neo," Cinder cursed under her breath.

Sure enough, from behind the two Atlas majors, stepped a woman, shorter even than Ruby, with pink and brown hair and eyes to match. She wore all white, and a bowler hat that always made Ruby cringe with memories.

The woman leaned on her cane as she came to a stop, plucking the hat from her head with two fingers and inclining it at them in salutations. The heavier footsteps revealed themselves to be none other than Rainbow Sorbet, the massive man that dwarfed even Ironwood as he trudged up behind her.

"Hello there, precious... Did you enjoy playing with my new toys?" she wondered aloud, a sultry smile playing on her lips, and both Cinder and Ruby's fists clenched in despair...

 **[Author's Note: Hey guys! It's me again, finally! I know it's been awhile but hopefully ya'll will be interested in this new little bit for the story... Hey ho, what's going on?!**  
 **So bit of an update on me... Still busy af. Still have a whacked out life. But it's getting better!**

 **Little side note, I'm making a website! It's a RWBY roleplaying website, and it'll be up pretty soon for all to enjoy! You should come write with us, we have a great community of about 60 people right now and a whole LOT of stuff planned! Heck, even if you don't come write with us, you should pop by to read all the awesome stories of Beacon Students we'll end up having! I plan to release the next chapter of this fic in tandem with the launch of the site, and when I do, I'll provide the URL so you can check it out.**

 **IF you're interested anyway, we have our own Discord already! You can find us at /EGtp3wQ**  
 **Hope to see ya'll there!]**


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